Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and their Corps of Discovery entered what is now Washington State on October 10, 1805, following a grueling trek over the Bitterroot Mountains. Battling cold, hunger and fatigue, the expedition made the arduous crossing, coming into the state on the Snake River at what is now Clarkston. From there they moved quickly down the Snake, into the Columbia, near the city of Pasco, making as much as 4o miles a day. Swift waters and enthusiasm carried them a gracious welcome: On October 14th, Clark successfully hunted some ducks and recorded that for the first time in three weeks he had enjoyed a good dinner.
The party passed numerous Indian villages – often on trails the natives had used as trade routes for 9.000 years – and found the inhabitants to be hospitable, in large part because of the presence and interpretive skills of Sacagawea. Her enormous contribution to the expedition has not been exaggerated.
As the Corps of Discovery’s boats moved down the Columbia, Indians traded with the party, hired on to help with portages, and provided food. The vastness of the Columbia and the fact that it teemed with a rather complex tapestry of human life amazed the explorers. Approached by the first of the coastal Indians in a flotilla of four different sizes canoes. Clark was so impressed with one of the boats that he made a sketch of it. On the bow was the image of a bear. The stern bore the likeness of a man. All this did little to compensate for what the group considered disagreeable weather. The chilly, relentlessly wet winter of the Pacific Northwest had set in, exaggerated by the stiff winds of the Columbia Gorge, and the explorers were ill equipped, physically and mentally, to deal with it.
November 7, 1805 started off with a heavy fog, which lifted slowly. The party set off and by afternoon the sky was clear. It was an auspicious day. The party sited the Pacific and a great cheer rose up. William Clark penned the famous line in his field notes, “Ocean (sic) in view. O! The joy.” And it was here, around the mount of the Columbia River that the Corps of Discovery spent the winter of 1805 – 1806.
Washington state is sprinkled with sites where any imaginative traveler can reach back and touch these events of nearly two centuries past. The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Fort Canby State Park near Ilwaco, walks the visitor through the journey from St Louis to the Pacific. The gift shop brims with interesting books about the expedition. And up in the center you’ll get an excellent view of the entire mouth of the Columbia. It was up river a bit, near Chinook, where an astounding moment in American history took place. Trying to decide where the expedition should search for a suitable site to camp, Lewis and Clark held a vote. All members of the party voted, including York, a black slave, and Sacagawea, a woman and an Indian. It was a first on three counts. The city of Vancouver offers an opportunity to actually stroll through one of the earliest ramifications of the Lewis and Clark legacy. Fort Vancouver National Historic Site became the Hudson’s Bay Company’s outpost in 1825. By 1849, the fort was a United States Army Post. Some of the stately buildings on the grounds date back to the mid 19th century. Walk along Officer’s Row for a glimpse of how quickly and elegantly America settled into its newly acquired territory.
Heading on east, the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center at Stevenson presents an overview of the geology and natural history that created the Columbia Gorge, allowing the Corps of Discovery to make its swift passage to the Pacific once they entered Washington.
In the Tri-Cities, the 22 mile Sacagawea Trail loops around the Columbia River, touching all three towns – Richland, Pasco and Kennewick. And from here it’s a short trip to Sacagawea State Park and its Interpretive Center.
By late April 1806, the expedition was well on its way back east and was traveling overland near what is now Walla Walla. They were met by Yellept, often referred to as a chief, but actually a headman of the Walla Walla Band, relatives of the Nez Perce. The party stayed with these friendly and generous Indians for three days. A life-size diorama at the Fort Walla Walla Museum depicts this event and early in June, each year, Lewis and Clark Days celebrate these times and events with a festival that includes costumed re-enactment.
In all, the pieces of the Lewis and Clark Expedition add up to a treasure trove of experiences in the state of Washington. Ours is a nation that grew quickly and exuberantly. We embraced and assimilated a mix of cultures in a way that no other collection of people ever has. And we are an enormous country, stretching across a continent, from sea to shining sea. It is rare to find a place where we can actually follow in the wake of history or walk in its footsteps. But in Washington, the ripples are still in the water and the impressions in the earth.
Showing posts with label Washington. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Washington. Show all posts
Monday, September 15, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
Indian Country
Washington State is Indian country. The powerful spirit of our native people pulses, like an ancient chant, through the state’s culture, past and present. The whispers of our ancestors can be heard along every stream and forested trail, and in every wave that rolls onto the endless beaches of Washington’s Pacific Coast. From the snowy peaks of our towering mountains and the rivers that once teamed with salmon, to the eastern Washington deserts and rolling grasses of the Palouse hills – wherever nature and the human spirit melt into one, these are the places that the Indian peoples have called “home”.
To get a sense of this, you need only look at a map of Washington. Over 75 rivers, thirteen counties, and hundreds of cities and towns all bear the melodic names of ancient Indian tongues – Seattle, Tacoma, Yakima, and Spokane among them. Our people guided Lewis and Clark to the Pacific and pointed them safely back to the east. Indian trails became the state’s earliest roads. Salmon, delicately grilled and smoked in alder, has become a hallmark of our famous regional cuisine.
For the outsider, learning about Indian culture is as uncomplicated as visiting one of our tribes. Washington’s Indian population divides easily into three parts: the Coastal tribes, the tribes of the inland waters, and the Inland and Columbia River Plateau tribes.
One of the richest repositories of Coastal Indian life is in Neah Bay, home to the Makah Indian Tribe in the far Northwest corner of the state. Visit during Makah Days in late August and you’ll see traditional dancing, canoe races, and the mesmerizing bone game being played as the smoky scent of open fires and roasting salmon wafts through the cool air. In the museum at the Makah Cultural and Research Center you can look at artifacts excavated from Ozette, a village fifteen miles to the south that was partially buried in a mud slide about 500 years ago. Archaeological evidence of the Makah’s reaches back 4.000 years.
The museum also has full-size replicas of whaling and sealing canoes and a long house. In the gift shop, you can buy traditional arts like cedar masks and bent wood boxes made by tribal members. Then head out to Cape Flattery. Keep your children close as you hike the ¾ mile to the top of a cliff that offers a spectacular ocean view from the most northwesterly point in the contiguous United States.
Down the coast, tucked into Olympic National Park, Quileute Tribe centers its culture in the enchanting 19th century fishing village of La Push, at the mouth of the Quileute River. Mid-March through mid-June, whale watching is spectacular here. Enormous gray whales are often seen as close as 50 feet off shore. Or you can watch the sea lions frolicking in the pounding surf. The Quileute beaches are some of the most beautiful in the world, covered with perfectly round, flat Quileute skipping stones. And the Quillayute Needles, towering rock formations called sea stacks, rise spectacularly up from the saltwater from your beachfront rental cabin.
Across the Cascades in the dry, sunny and fertile Yakima Valley, the Yakama Indian Nation Cultural Heritage Center offers an equally incisive look into the world of the Inland tribes. Along with tools, buckskin garments, and beadwork, you can see a sweat lodge as well as a winter lodge. The gift shop is filled with the work of local craftsmen; the restaurant serves fry bread and lukmeel. If you decide to spend the night, groups as large as ten can rent an authentic teepee at the campground.
Further east, under the sunny blue skies and rocky outcroppings of Roosevelt Lake, the Colville Confederated Tribes and the Spokane Tribe both have houseboat rental businesses. Their huge, fully-equipped houseboats can hold up to 20 people, lumbering merrily through the placid waters behind Grand Coulee Dam. From here, you can explore camping and hunting grounds that are unchanged since the days of Kennewick Man, whose 9.300 year old remains found along the lower Columbia River, tell us that he was a grandfather and warrior whose tribal family thrived here.
And if you have a car full of kids, venture closer to the state’s eastern border. Off Highway 211, cross the Pend Oreille River at the hamlet of Usk, and take the first road north into the homelands of the Kalispell Tribe. About 2.5 miles up you’ll be able to stop and watch the tribe’s buffalo herd grazing in the lush green grass.
In Seattle’s Discovery Park, the Daybreak Star Cultural Center, affiliated with the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, is a nucleus of urban Indian life. Each year, at SeaFair time in July, the center hosts a huge Indian Days Pow Wow. The art gallery exhibits contemporary Indian art, some of which is sold in the gift shop. The center is open daily and the vast park is filled with trails, native vegetation, and spectacular views of the Puget Sound shoreline and the Olympic Mountains.
The tribal entrepreneurial spirit is as alive and well today, just as when Indians first began trading with European explorers over two hundred years ago. Although tribal casinos are ostensibly built for gambling, they offer a host of amenities that will please any savvy traveler. The resorts are in scenic settings, rooms and dinning room meals are generous and reasonably priced, the gift shops offer an assortment of high quality items, also at good prices, and there is often good, rousing entertainment.
It’s worth a trip to the Seven Cedar Casino operated by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, just to see the magnificent totem poles that grace the entry of the main building. At the Quinault Indian Nation’s Quinault Beach Resort, access to the spectacular beach and the surrounding native forest make for an excellent Northwest weekend, especially in winter when most tourist are hibernating. The Tulalip Casino, operated by the Tulalip Tribes, fairly boasts “big portions and fine dining at a good price”. You’ll get the point if you order prime rib in their Prince of Wales Restaurant. And at the glittering Muckleshoot Casino, the largest in the state and owned by the Muckleshoot Tribe, the Las Vegas style shows pack in the crowds, and folks from all over the Puget Sound metropolitan area come to dance to the live music.
The twenty nine tribes of Washington give our state a breadth of adventures, experiences, and insights into cultures that are as colorful and complex as a dance mask or a beaded saddle bag, and as impossible to forget as the eternal rhythm and earthy beauty of tribal music. Across the state, the Indian dialects and language vary and are rarely used in the presence of outsiders. No matter, the message glowing from the strong and quiet faces of Washington’s Indian peoples is, and always has been, the same; Welcome.
To get a sense of this, you need only look at a map of Washington. Over 75 rivers, thirteen counties, and hundreds of cities and towns all bear the melodic names of ancient Indian tongues – Seattle, Tacoma, Yakima, and Spokane among them. Our people guided Lewis and Clark to the Pacific and pointed them safely back to the east. Indian trails became the state’s earliest roads. Salmon, delicately grilled and smoked in alder, has become a hallmark of our famous regional cuisine.
For the outsider, learning about Indian culture is as uncomplicated as visiting one of our tribes. Washington’s Indian population divides easily into three parts: the Coastal tribes, the tribes of the inland waters, and the Inland and Columbia River Plateau tribes.
One of the richest repositories of Coastal Indian life is in Neah Bay, home to the Makah Indian Tribe in the far Northwest corner of the state. Visit during Makah Days in late August and you’ll see traditional dancing, canoe races, and the mesmerizing bone game being played as the smoky scent of open fires and roasting salmon wafts through the cool air. In the museum at the Makah Cultural and Research Center you can look at artifacts excavated from Ozette, a village fifteen miles to the south that was partially buried in a mud slide about 500 years ago. Archaeological evidence of the Makah’s reaches back 4.000 years.
The museum also has full-size replicas of whaling and sealing canoes and a long house. In the gift shop, you can buy traditional arts like cedar masks and bent wood boxes made by tribal members. Then head out to Cape Flattery. Keep your children close as you hike the ¾ mile to the top of a cliff that offers a spectacular ocean view from the most northwesterly point in the contiguous United States.
Down the coast, tucked into Olympic National Park, Quileute Tribe centers its culture in the enchanting 19th century fishing village of La Push, at the mouth of the Quileute River. Mid-March through mid-June, whale watching is spectacular here. Enormous gray whales are often seen as close as 50 feet off shore. Or you can watch the sea lions frolicking in the pounding surf. The Quileute beaches are some of the most beautiful in the world, covered with perfectly round, flat Quileute skipping stones. And the Quillayute Needles, towering rock formations called sea stacks, rise spectacularly up from the saltwater from your beachfront rental cabin.
Across the Cascades in the dry, sunny and fertile Yakima Valley, the Yakama Indian Nation Cultural Heritage Center offers an equally incisive look into the world of the Inland tribes. Along with tools, buckskin garments, and beadwork, you can see a sweat lodge as well as a winter lodge. The gift shop is filled with the work of local craftsmen; the restaurant serves fry bread and lukmeel. If you decide to spend the night, groups as large as ten can rent an authentic teepee at the campground.
Further east, under the sunny blue skies and rocky outcroppings of Roosevelt Lake, the Colville Confederated Tribes and the Spokane Tribe both have houseboat rental businesses. Their huge, fully-equipped houseboats can hold up to 20 people, lumbering merrily through the placid waters behind Grand Coulee Dam. From here, you can explore camping and hunting grounds that are unchanged since the days of Kennewick Man, whose 9.300 year old remains found along the lower Columbia River, tell us that he was a grandfather and warrior whose tribal family thrived here.
And if you have a car full of kids, venture closer to the state’s eastern border. Off Highway 211, cross the Pend Oreille River at the hamlet of Usk, and take the first road north into the homelands of the Kalispell Tribe. About 2.5 miles up you’ll be able to stop and watch the tribe’s buffalo herd grazing in the lush green grass.
In Seattle’s Discovery Park, the Daybreak Star Cultural Center, affiliated with the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, is a nucleus of urban Indian life. Each year, at SeaFair time in July, the center hosts a huge Indian Days Pow Wow. The art gallery exhibits contemporary Indian art, some of which is sold in the gift shop. The center is open daily and the vast park is filled with trails, native vegetation, and spectacular views of the Puget Sound shoreline and the Olympic Mountains.
The tribal entrepreneurial spirit is as alive and well today, just as when Indians first began trading with European explorers over two hundred years ago. Although tribal casinos are ostensibly built for gambling, they offer a host of amenities that will please any savvy traveler. The resorts are in scenic settings, rooms and dinning room meals are generous and reasonably priced, the gift shops offer an assortment of high quality items, also at good prices, and there is often good, rousing entertainment.
It’s worth a trip to the Seven Cedar Casino operated by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, just to see the magnificent totem poles that grace the entry of the main building. At the Quinault Indian Nation’s Quinault Beach Resort, access to the spectacular beach and the surrounding native forest make for an excellent Northwest weekend, especially in winter when most tourist are hibernating. The Tulalip Casino, operated by the Tulalip Tribes, fairly boasts “big portions and fine dining at a good price”. You’ll get the point if you order prime rib in their Prince of Wales Restaurant. And at the glittering Muckleshoot Casino, the largest in the state and owned by the Muckleshoot Tribe, the Las Vegas style shows pack in the crowds, and folks from all over the Puget Sound metropolitan area come to dance to the live music.
The twenty nine tribes of Washington give our state a breadth of adventures, experiences, and insights into cultures that are as colorful and complex as a dance mask or a beaded saddle bag, and as impossible to forget as the eternal rhythm and earthy beauty of tribal music. Across the state, the Indian dialects and language vary and are rarely used in the presence of outsiders. No matter, the message glowing from the strong and quiet faces of Washington’s Indian peoples is, and always has been, the same; Welcome.
Monday, August 4, 2008
The Palouse
If you’ve never been to the Palouse, you simply won’t believe your eyes once you get there. To call it a land of rolling hills is an understatement. It’s more like a land of bubbling earth.
In one mile you may go around, or up and over, as many as six hills, each 200 feet in height. The hills are covered with topsoil so rich and fine it is the color and texture of coffee grounds and it goes down, down, down, 250 feet deep in places. The soil is so water retentive that crops flourish on the areas 20 inches of annual precipitation. And long hot summer days make for robust growth. Little wonder that the farmers of Whitman County are the most productive wheat producers in the United States. Here wheat, barley, lentils, and peas grow in what has been called “the magical kingdom of grain”, “the Louvre of farmland”, and “agro-surrealism”. And if all that seems far-fetched, you’ll change your mind once you visit.
To experience the Palouse, you need only drive the roads in Whitman, Garfield, Columbia and Asotin counties. But the experience doesn’t stop with simply seeing the farms. You’ll crane your neck looking at architecture throughout the area. The grain elevators, and there are dozens of them throughout the Palouse, are symbols of longstanding prosperity. The old lofty wooden elevators are monolithic tributes to the past. The modern steel structures, which can have a total storage capacity of 2 million bushels, attest to a promising future.
Other buildings point to the strength and stability of Palouse life. Courthouses, churches, barns, farm houses, and the residential streets of prosperous little towns are all testaments to sturdy pioneers who came in the mid to late 19th century, worked hard, built a strong, but thinly-dispersed society and stayed through the generations to repeat that happy way of life. St Boniface and St Gall Churches, both built in 1905, are grand expressions of ecclesiastical frontier architecture. Perkins House in Colfax was built in 1886 and demonstrates that even in this far away land, folks knew what was stylish in their time.
The town of Dayton is a study in turn-of-the-century elegance from its carpenter gothic depot to the cast-iron columns of the Guernsey-Sturtevant Building. The town has nearly a hundred buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Near Dayton, the scenic byway into the Blue Mountains is recreational delight not to be missed.
And don’t miss Pullman, home of Washington State University. It’s a good place to headquarter stock up on supplies or simply take a walk through the campus. It’s hard not to be drawn to this nucleus of youthful enthusiasm. Headed 26 you’ll pass a barn proudly bearing the slogan “Go Cougars”. Indeed, you’re headed for WSU.
A stark contrast to the rolling hills near Colfax and Pullman, Hells Canyon on the Snake River near Clarkston in the deepest gorge in North America. Jet boat excursions float tours and guided fishing charters will add to your enjoyment of this dynamic area. Thirty miles west of Clarkston, Pomeroy allows you to discover the charm of a small “home town” environment where old-fashioned hospitality reigns supreme.
People seldom visit the Palouse just once. You’re usually drawn back for a second or third look at the “like-nothing-you’ve-ever-seen-before” scenery, to take in the friendly easy-going life of the small towns, and to roll up and down the hills like a boat on big, but gentle waves. The place just changes the way you think about the world. And you wait for the next time that the wind will pick you up like a speck of glacial silt and blow you back to the Palouse.
The Palouse region can be as wild as its history or as calm as golden shafts of wheat swaying gently atop the area’s trademark rolling hills. From its small, proud communities to the highly ranked Washington State University, the Palouse provides a uniquely wonderful taste of Washington charm and hospitality. Here, you can relive historic battles, ski down fresh snowy slopes or enjoy an exhilarating jet boat excursion through Hells Canyon on the Snake River.
The area’s beauty has been lauded in many national and international publications. The subtleties of light and shadows on the rolling hills combined with seasonal variations of soil and crop color make it one of the most popular destinations for professional photographers from around the world. But, there is certainly a lot more to discover in Washington’s Palouse region than its beautiful topography.
Whitman County, in the North Palouse, contains the cities of Pullman, Rosalia, Uniontown, Colfax, Albion, Lacrosse, Endicott, St John, Colton, Garfield, Palouse, Tekoa and Oakesdale. Begin with Rosalia, a strong, old-fashioned hometown evident in the turn-of-the-century replication carriage lights that line the entry into town.
At the Steptoe Battlefield, located on a hill overlooking Rosalia, a 25 foot granite memorial has been erected to mark the location where an Indian victory over the U.S. Army occurred in May of 1858. Rosalia’s Battle Days celebration commemorates this event. Visit the Rosalia Museum with its authentic jailhouse, the largest meteorite found in the area and a vast collection of relics and photos. A local gallery displays paintings and drawings of Old Rosalia and the Antique Railroad Exhibits puts the Roman Arched Bridge that spans the valley in context. This bridge once carried the Milwaukee Railroad through the Palouse providing a vital link for early commerce in the region. If you’re continuing south toward Colfax, the slight detour to the summit of Steptoe Butte, with an elevation of 3.618 feet and just a few miles south of Rosalia on Highway 195, is well worth the effort. It offers a spectacular view of the patchwork mosaic of fertile farmland that stretches as far as the eye can see.
South from Rosalia on Highway 195, you’ll find Colfax. Settled in the 1860s, Colfax, the Whitman county seat, has the distinction of being one of eastern Washington’s oldest established communities. The town’s main industry is agriculture, yet, there is significant evidence of its historic significance. Stately Victorian homes, including the Perkins House, built by Colfax’s founder James Perkins in 1886, give you an impressive glimpse of local history. The cabin on the Perkin’s House property, the original log cabin built by Perkins, is the oldest standing building in Whitman County. Colfax has another unique icon for remembering the past – the Codger Pole. This whimsical 65 foot chainsaw sculpture, the largest of its kind in the world, captures the spirit of a football game rematch between St John and Colfax – played 50 years after the original by the same players on the same field.
Legendary Hollywood stunt man, Yakima Canutt was born near here in 1895. Many of his contributions to the art form have evolved to become standards of the industry today. The Yakima Canutt Museum provides an entertaining look at this innovative and gifted stunt man. In 1998, Colfax experienced a face-lift, adding historic street lamps and trees to beautify the main street of town. Treasures are found throughout the many antique, craft, and jewelry stores downtown. You will enjoy the charm, hospitality and sense of community pride from the moment you step into one of the shops or restaurants to say hello.
Home to Washington State University, the city of Pullman offers a diverse population of 25.000. Pullman was founded in 1877, when it was known as “Three Forks”, a reference to the joining of the Missouri Flat Creek, Dry Fork Creek and the Palouse River.
Pullman has cozy antique shops, galleries, boutiques and a wide variety of dining options for even the most discriminating palate. And if you’re concerned about deserving the wonderful treats from these eateries, get your exercise at one of Pullman’s large number of city parks or the Chipman Trail.
For a change of pace and some local flare, attend Pullman’s National Lentil Festival in August. This two-day festival, which boasts an attendance of nearly 17.000, celebrates a local legume, the lentil. More than 135 million pounds of lentils are grown annually on the Palouse and the Lentil Festival provides a great opportunity to sample many tasty creations using the little legume. More importantly, the festival is packed with fun, family activities, events and live entertainment.
Located between Pullman and Albion is the Three Forks Pioneer Museum. This attraction transports visitors to the late 19th century with a stroll down an old-west Main Street. Storefronts and antiques from the era are represented in a general store, leather shop, doctor’s office, bank, barbershop, blacksmith shop, jail, hardware store and boot hill. The museum is open May through September by appointment. The Staley Museum, a personal museum of the Staley family, is a glimpse into the Pullman of the past, and opens by appointment.
For more enjoyment, investigate the many performing arts options in the city. The Pullman Civic Theatre and Festival Dance and Performing Arts, with six touring events at Beasley Coliseum, are widely attended and enjoyed by residents and visitors.
Washington State University is a world-class educational institution with a strong research component. Be sure to stop by WSU’s Visitor’s Center in the Cougar Depot in downtown Pullman, and then drop by the Lewis Alumni Centre. First constructed as a barn, it is now recognized for its unique preservation of original architecture.
A visit to campus is not complete until you try the world famous Cougar Gold Cheese. The WSU Creamery and Ferdinand’s are housed at the Food Science & Human Nutrition Building and delight visitors with the secrets of this popular product.
WSU has many outstanding museums, including the Conner Museum, with the largest public collection of birds and mammals in the Pacific Northwest, and the WSU Museum of Anthropology, showcasing interpretive exhibits including the fossil record of human evolution and exhibits on cultural similarities and differences in people.
The Robert P. Worthman Veterinary Anatomy Teaching Museum located in Wegner Hall on the WSU campus features several hundred dried and skeletal preparations of large and small domestic animals as well as specimens of birds and other species. You can also see wildlife on campus; view grizzly bears, black bears and bighorn sheep that are at WSU for research, education and conservation on Airport Road. Sporting events at WSU are always a hit – check the schedule and see if you can catch a Washington State Cougar Pac-10 Conference event.
South of Pullman, on Highway 195, Uniontown is a worthwhile side trip to see the town and its signature attraction – the grand St Boniface Catholic Church. Begun in 1878, the church houses the original five altars, statues, stained glass windows, painted décor, wooden pews and oil painted Stations of the Cross. St Boniface also has a stunning collection of ornate silver and gold chalices and crosses, ancient censors and relics, robes and embroidered and hand-painted silk banners.
Feeling quirky? The Wheel Fence in Uniontown is an impressive creation of a local family that includes more than 1.000 wheels from things such as a WWI federal truck, plows, bulk and hay wagons, antique baby buggies and steam engines. Bring your walking shoes and a panoramic camera.
There is also a strong showing of State and County Parks in Whitman County that include Boyer Park and Marina, Central Ferry State Park, Kamiah Butte County Park, Wawawai County Park and Palouse Falls State Park. Boyer Park and Marina located on the historic Snake River and within viewing distance of the impressive Lower Granite Lock and Dam, offers 80 acres of park and river area and 150 boat slips. Treat yourself to hours gazing at the hundreds of fish that glide up the fish ladder in the viewing room. Follow up with a stroll through the exhibits that examine the salmon’s life cycle.
Asotin County is known as the Gateway to Hells Canyon, North America’s deepest gorge. Recreational opportunities abound from the gateway communities of Clarkston and Asotin, located on the banks of the Snake River. A guided tour on the Snake River through the astounding Hells Canyon National Recreation Area is an experience of a lifetime and a “must see” while touring through the Palouse region. The Hells Canyon National Recreational Area is nearly 700 acres of archeological, recreational and ecological treasures, including startlingly rugged wilderness areas. A study in contrasts, the Seven Devil Mountain Range rises 9.393 feet in elevation at “He Devil” Mountain, then plunges 8.000 feet from its summit to the mouth to Granite Creek making it North America’s deepest gorge. Tour the canyon from a mild jet boat tour on a comfortable covered boat or a wild ride down the rapids in a raft or dory boat. A tour in the canyon can include dinner cruise or a multi-day trip with an overnight stay at a rustic camp-style lodge or camping on a white sandy beach under the stars.
Clarkston is located at the confluence of the Snake & Clearwater River in the Lewis & Clark Valley. Clarkston was named in honor of the famous explorer, William Clark from the Corps of Discovery Lewis & Clark Expedition. As they lead the Corps of Discovery through the area in 1805 they were provided much needed assistance from the Nez Perce Indians in the region. You can visit the Hells Canyon Resort Marina in Clarkston, where you can view beautiful sidewalk etching depicting the adventures of the Lewis & Clark expedition. Relive the famous expedition while visiting that area and enjoy a guided canoe, horseback or narrated bus tour on the Lewis & Clark Trail or spend the night in a tepee on the banks of the Clearwater River.
Eight miles west of Clarkston on Highway 12, outside the entrance of Chief Timothy State Park, is the Alpowa Interpretive Center. The center, built near the original site of Alpowa, a Nez Perce Indian village occupied during the mid-1800s, offers displays and a movie of the site’s history and the Lewis & Clark Expedition.
This area is often referred to as the “Banana Belt” due to its annual warm weather and mild winters – so you can golf practically any day of the year. In Granite Lake, formed on the Snake River behind Lower Granite Dam, choose from an array of activities such as water-skiing, sailing, fishing, and swimming, walking or riding along miles of paved levee pathways or camping at a riverside park.
Asotin, located south of Clarkston on Highway 129, is home to the Asotin County Historical Society Museum. Filled with artifacts of the region’s pioneering history, its exhibits also include a Mastodon elephant tusk over 10.000 years old. At Chief Looking Glass Park and Marina you will find the Steamboat Jean, the type of sternwheeler that was once used to transport people and freight from Portland.
Asotin is also known as the gateway to a sportsman’s paradise with easy access to hunting and fishing. Try your hand at some of the best fishing in the Northwest with a fishing trip into Hells Canyon. Chartered tours depart from Heller Bar at the mouth of the Grand Ronde River – also a popular area for fly-fishing. In spring and summer, the fast action catch is bass and trout and in fall, it’s steelhead. The canyon has a healthy number of North America’s largest fresh water fish, the great white sturgeon, which can reach lengths of up to 8 feet. You can’t take one home, but catching one could be the highlight of your trip.
Anatone, at the base of the Blue Mountains, is just a short drive south from Asotin on Highway 129. At Fields Spring State Park enjoy camping, picnicking and warming shelters, miles of cross-county skiing, hiking trails, a sled run and lighted tubing hill.
Garfield County is filled with year-round recreation opportunities, from hunting, camping and backpacking to snowmobiling, cross-county skiing or snowshoeing and water sports on the Snake River.
Take time to explore the city of Pomeroy, a historic agricultural community nestled in the Pataha Valley between the Blue Mountains and the Snake River. The county seat and only incorporated town in this dry-land farming county is nestled on Highway 12 along the Lewis & Clark Trail.
Pomeroy’s Main Street is lined with beautiful 100 year old brick buildings. The historic Garfield County Courthouse provides the centerpiece of the community and is valiantly guarded by the bronze statue of local Civil War hero Lt John C. Mitchell.
Other diversions in Pomeroy include the Garfield County Museum, historic Seeley & Opera House, and an assortment of antique and gift shops. Homemade pie is a matter of pride here, so be sure you sample a few slices at one of the many eateries in town. Don’t feel guilty. You can work off those well-earned calories golfing, or swinging a tennis racquet at the Pomeroy City Park.
Two very famous trails, the Nez Perce Indian Trail and the Lewis and Clark Trail, also run through this community.
The city of Dayton is nestled at the foothills of the Blue Mountains. Home to three National Historic Districts with 117 buildings on the National Historic Register, the town lays claim to the oldest train depot in the state, built in 1881, and the oldest working courthouse, built in 1887 – both beautifully restored. Lewis and Clark camped here in 1806 and you can share in their experience at the Lewis and Clark Trail State Park which features valued amenities the Corps of Discovery didn’t encounter like campsites, kitchen shelters, restrooms and picnic tables.
Dayton’s renovated Main Street was once used as a racetrack for regional Indian tribes congregating for summer recreation and food gathering. Family vacation traditions still continue here due to the local charm, interesting festivals and events, and outdoor activities ranging from downhill and cross-county skiing to camping, hiking and fishing. The sight of Dayton’s Historic Main Street lined with classic cars during the All Wheels Weekend event held each year on Father’s Day Weekend is absolutely marvelous.
Dayton boasts the only 4 star restaurants in eastern Washington. The Patit Creek, and fully restored Victorian accommodation, the Weinhard Hotel. The hotel once housed a saloon owned by Jacob Weinhard in the late 1800s. Walking tour maps provide self-guided tours of the National Historic Districts, and be sure to visit the Depot, a museum that offers a guided tour of its turn of the century furnishing and the history of the area.
Climbing from Dayton into the beautiful Blue Mountains, you’ll encounter the Bluewood ski area featuring great skiing and short lift lines. Bluewood has the second highest base elevation in Washington state and is renowned for its clear skies, dry powder and excellent tree skiing-a true skier’s and snowboarder’s delight.
The Palouse, whit its quiet beauty and surprises at each stop, contains an impressive breadth of geography, history, and vacation opportunities. This is a land with loyal roots and an open door. Palouse region, visitors are always welcome. Whether joining in on one of the region’s festivals or resting beside a revered natural resource, this corner of the state is a grand spot for slowing down and jumping in. from the rolling hills of the Palouse, and the stunning gorge of Hell’s Canyon, down to the rich river valley and pristine Blue Mountains, the Palouse Region offers a reason to travel during every season.
In one mile you may go around, or up and over, as many as six hills, each 200 feet in height. The hills are covered with topsoil so rich and fine it is the color and texture of coffee grounds and it goes down, down, down, 250 feet deep in places. The soil is so water retentive that crops flourish on the areas 20 inches of annual precipitation. And long hot summer days make for robust growth. Little wonder that the farmers of Whitman County are the most productive wheat producers in the United States. Here wheat, barley, lentils, and peas grow in what has been called “the magical kingdom of grain”, “the Louvre of farmland”, and “agro-surrealism”. And if all that seems far-fetched, you’ll change your mind once you visit.
To experience the Palouse, you need only drive the roads in Whitman, Garfield, Columbia and Asotin counties. But the experience doesn’t stop with simply seeing the farms. You’ll crane your neck looking at architecture throughout the area. The grain elevators, and there are dozens of them throughout the Palouse, are symbols of longstanding prosperity. The old lofty wooden elevators are monolithic tributes to the past. The modern steel structures, which can have a total storage capacity of 2 million bushels, attest to a promising future.
Other buildings point to the strength and stability of Palouse life. Courthouses, churches, barns, farm houses, and the residential streets of prosperous little towns are all testaments to sturdy pioneers who came in the mid to late 19th century, worked hard, built a strong, but thinly-dispersed society and stayed through the generations to repeat that happy way of life. St Boniface and St Gall Churches, both built in 1905, are grand expressions of ecclesiastical frontier architecture. Perkins House in Colfax was built in 1886 and demonstrates that even in this far away land, folks knew what was stylish in their time.
The town of Dayton is a study in turn-of-the-century elegance from its carpenter gothic depot to the cast-iron columns of the Guernsey-Sturtevant Building. The town has nearly a hundred buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Near Dayton, the scenic byway into the Blue Mountains is recreational delight not to be missed.
And don’t miss Pullman, home of Washington State University. It’s a good place to headquarter stock up on supplies or simply take a walk through the campus. It’s hard not to be drawn to this nucleus of youthful enthusiasm. Headed 26 you’ll pass a barn proudly bearing the slogan “Go Cougars”. Indeed, you’re headed for WSU.
A stark contrast to the rolling hills near Colfax and Pullman, Hells Canyon on the Snake River near Clarkston in the deepest gorge in North America. Jet boat excursions float tours and guided fishing charters will add to your enjoyment of this dynamic area. Thirty miles west of Clarkston, Pomeroy allows you to discover the charm of a small “home town” environment where old-fashioned hospitality reigns supreme.
People seldom visit the Palouse just once. You’re usually drawn back for a second or third look at the “like-nothing-you’ve-ever-seen-before” scenery, to take in the friendly easy-going life of the small towns, and to roll up and down the hills like a boat on big, but gentle waves. The place just changes the way you think about the world. And you wait for the next time that the wind will pick you up like a speck of glacial silt and blow you back to the Palouse.
The Palouse region can be as wild as its history or as calm as golden shafts of wheat swaying gently atop the area’s trademark rolling hills. From its small, proud communities to the highly ranked Washington State University, the Palouse provides a uniquely wonderful taste of Washington charm and hospitality. Here, you can relive historic battles, ski down fresh snowy slopes or enjoy an exhilarating jet boat excursion through Hells Canyon on the Snake River.
The area’s beauty has been lauded in many national and international publications. The subtleties of light and shadows on the rolling hills combined with seasonal variations of soil and crop color make it one of the most popular destinations for professional photographers from around the world. But, there is certainly a lot more to discover in Washington’s Palouse region than its beautiful topography.
Whitman County, in the North Palouse, contains the cities of Pullman, Rosalia, Uniontown, Colfax, Albion, Lacrosse, Endicott, St John, Colton, Garfield, Palouse, Tekoa and Oakesdale. Begin with Rosalia, a strong, old-fashioned hometown evident in the turn-of-the-century replication carriage lights that line the entry into town.
At the Steptoe Battlefield, located on a hill overlooking Rosalia, a 25 foot granite memorial has been erected to mark the location where an Indian victory over the U.S. Army occurred in May of 1858. Rosalia’s Battle Days celebration commemorates this event. Visit the Rosalia Museum with its authentic jailhouse, the largest meteorite found in the area and a vast collection of relics and photos. A local gallery displays paintings and drawings of Old Rosalia and the Antique Railroad Exhibits puts the Roman Arched Bridge that spans the valley in context. This bridge once carried the Milwaukee Railroad through the Palouse providing a vital link for early commerce in the region. If you’re continuing south toward Colfax, the slight detour to the summit of Steptoe Butte, with an elevation of 3.618 feet and just a few miles south of Rosalia on Highway 195, is well worth the effort. It offers a spectacular view of the patchwork mosaic of fertile farmland that stretches as far as the eye can see.
South from Rosalia on Highway 195, you’ll find Colfax. Settled in the 1860s, Colfax, the Whitman county seat, has the distinction of being one of eastern Washington’s oldest established communities. The town’s main industry is agriculture, yet, there is significant evidence of its historic significance. Stately Victorian homes, including the Perkins House, built by Colfax’s founder James Perkins in 1886, give you an impressive glimpse of local history. The cabin on the Perkin’s House property, the original log cabin built by Perkins, is the oldest standing building in Whitman County. Colfax has another unique icon for remembering the past – the Codger Pole. This whimsical 65 foot chainsaw sculpture, the largest of its kind in the world, captures the spirit of a football game rematch between St John and Colfax – played 50 years after the original by the same players on the same field.
Legendary Hollywood stunt man, Yakima Canutt was born near here in 1895. Many of his contributions to the art form have evolved to become standards of the industry today. The Yakima Canutt Museum provides an entertaining look at this innovative and gifted stunt man. In 1998, Colfax experienced a face-lift, adding historic street lamps and trees to beautify the main street of town. Treasures are found throughout the many antique, craft, and jewelry stores downtown. You will enjoy the charm, hospitality and sense of community pride from the moment you step into one of the shops or restaurants to say hello.
Home to Washington State University, the city of Pullman offers a diverse population of 25.000. Pullman was founded in 1877, when it was known as “Three Forks”, a reference to the joining of the Missouri Flat Creek, Dry Fork Creek and the Palouse River.
Pullman has cozy antique shops, galleries, boutiques and a wide variety of dining options for even the most discriminating palate. And if you’re concerned about deserving the wonderful treats from these eateries, get your exercise at one of Pullman’s large number of city parks or the Chipman Trail.
For a change of pace and some local flare, attend Pullman’s National Lentil Festival in August. This two-day festival, which boasts an attendance of nearly 17.000, celebrates a local legume, the lentil. More than 135 million pounds of lentils are grown annually on the Palouse and the Lentil Festival provides a great opportunity to sample many tasty creations using the little legume. More importantly, the festival is packed with fun, family activities, events and live entertainment.
Located between Pullman and Albion is the Three Forks Pioneer Museum. This attraction transports visitors to the late 19th century with a stroll down an old-west Main Street. Storefronts and antiques from the era are represented in a general store, leather shop, doctor’s office, bank, barbershop, blacksmith shop, jail, hardware store and boot hill. The museum is open May through September by appointment. The Staley Museum, a personal museum of the Staley family, is a glimpse into the Pullman of the past, and opens by appointment.
For more enjoyment, investigate the many performing arts options in the city. The Pullman Civic Theatre and Festival Dance and Performing Arts, with six touring events at Beasley Coliseum, are widely attended and enjoyed by residents and visitors.
Washington State University is a world-class educational institution with a strong research component. Be sure to stop by WSU’s Visitor’s Center in the Cougar Depot in downtown Pullman, and then drop by the Lewis Alumni Centre. First constructed as a barn, it is now recognized for its unique preservation of original architecture.
A visit to campus is not complete until you try the world famous Cougar Gold Cheese. The WSU Creamery and Ferdinand’s are housed at the Food Science & Human Nutrition Building and delight visitors with the secrets of this popular product.
WSU has many outstanding museums, including the Conner Museum, with the largest public collection of birds and mammals in the Pacific Northwest, and the WSU Museum of Anthropology, showcasing interpretive exhibits including the fossil record of human evolution and exhibits on cultural similarities and differences in people.
The Robert P. Worthman Veterinary Anatomy Teaching Museum located in Wegner Hall on the WSU campus features several hundred dried and skeletal preparations of large and small domestic animals as well as specimens of birds and other species. You can also see wildlife on campus; view grizzly bears, black bears and bighorn sheep that are at WSU for research, education and conservation on Airport Road. Sporting events at WSU are always a hit – check the schedule and see if you can catch a Washington State Cougar Pac-10 Conference event.
South of Pullman, on Highway 195, Uniontown is a worthwhile side trip to see the town and its signature attraction – the grand St Boniface Catholic Church. Begun in 1878, the church houses the original five altars, statues, stained glass windows, painted décor, wooden pews and oil painted Stations of the Cross. St Boniface also has a stunning collection of ornate silver and gold chalices and crosses, ancient censors and relics, robes and embroidered and hand-painted silk banners.
Feeling quirky? The Wheel Fence in Uniontown is an impressive creation of a local family that includes more than 1.000 wheels from things such as a WWI federal truck, plows, bulk and hay wagons, antique baby buggies and steam engines. Bring your walking shoes and a panoramic camera.
There is also a strong showing of State and County Parks in Whitman County that include Boyer Park and Marina, Central Ferry State Park, Kamiah Butte County Park, Wawawai County Park and Palouse Falls State Park. Boyer Park and Marina located on the historic Snake River and within viewing distance of the impressive Lower Granite Lock and Dam, offers 80 acres of park and river area and 150 boat slips. Treat yourself to hours gazing at the hundreds of fish that glide up the fish ladder in the viewing room. Follow up with a stroll through the exhibits that examine the salmon’s life cycle.
Asotin County is known as the Gateway to Hells Canyon, North America’s deepest gorge. Recreational opportunities abound from the gateway communities of Clarkston and Asotin, located on the banks of the Snake River. A guided tour on the Snake River through the astounding Hells Canyon National Recreation Area is an experience of a lifetime and a “must see” while touring through the Palouse region. The Hells Canyon National Recreational Area is nearly 700 acres of archeological, recreational and ecological treasures, including startlingly rugged wilderness areas. A study in contrasts, the Seven Devil Mountain Range rises 9.393 feet in elevation at “He Devil” Mountain, then plunges 8.000 feet from its summit to the mouth to Granite Creek making it North America’s deepest gorge. Tour the canyon from a mild jet boat tour on a comfortable covered boat or a wild ride down the rapids in a raft or dory boat. A tour in the canyon can include dinner cruise or a multi-day trip with an overnight stay at a rustic camp-style lodge or camping on a white sandy beach under the stars.
Clarkston is located at the confluence of the Snake & Clearwater River in the Lewis & Clark Valley. Clarkston was named in honor of the famous explorer, William Clark from the Corps of Discovery Lewis & Clark Expedition. As they lead the Corps of Discovery through the area in 1805 they were provided much needed assistance from the Nez Perce Indians in the region. You can visit the Hells Canyon Resort Marina in Clarkston, where you can view beautiful sidewalk etching depicting the adventures of the Lewis & Clark expedition. Relive the famous expedition while visiting that area and enjoy a guided canoe, horseback or narrated bus tour on the Lewis & Clark Trail or spend the night in a tepee on the banks of the Clearwater River.
Eight miles west of Clarkston on Highway 12, outside the entrance of Chief Timothy State Park, is the Alpowa Interpretive Center. The center, built near the original site of Alpowa, a Nez Perce Indian village occupied during the mid-1800s, offers displays and a movie of the site’s history and the Lewis & Clark Expedition.
This area is often referred to as the “Banana Belt” due to its annual warm weather and mild winters – so you can golf practically any day of the year. In Granite Lake, formed on the Snake River behind Lower Granite Dam, choose from an array of activities such as water-skiing, sailing, fishing, and swimming, walking or riding along miles of paved levee pathways or camping at a riverside park.
Asotin, located south of Clarkston on Highway 129, is home to the Asotin County Historical Society Museum. Filled with artifacts of the region’s pioneering history, its exhibits also include a Mastodon elephant tusk over 10.000 years old. At Chief Looking Glass Park and Marina you will find the Steamboat Jean, the type of sternwheeler that was once used to transport people and freight from Portland.
Asotin is also known as the gateway to a sportsman’s paradise with easy access to hunting and fishing. Try your hand at some of the best fishing in the Northwest with a fishing trip into Hells Canyon. Chartered tours depart from Heller Bar at the mouth of the Grand Ronde River – also a popular area for fly-fishing. In spring and summer, the fast action catch is bass and trout and in fall, it’s steelhead. The canyon has a healthy number of North America’s largest fresh water fish, the great white sturgeon, which can reach lengths of up to 8 feet. You can’t take one home, but catching one could be the highlight of your trip.
Anatone, at the base of the Blue Mountains, is just a short drive south from Asotin on Highway 129. At Fields Spring State Park enjoy camping, picnicking and warming shelters, miles of cross-county skiing, hiking trails, a sled run and lighted tubing hill.
Garfield County is filled with year-round recreation opportunities, from hunting, camping and backpacking to snowmobiling, cross-county skiing or snowshoeing and water sports on the Snake River.
Take time to explore the city of Pomeroy, a historic agricultural community nestled in the Pataha Valley between the Blue Mountains and the Snake River. The county seat and only incorporated town in this dry-land farming county is nestled on Highway 12 along the Lewis & Clark Trail.
Pomeroy’s Main Street is lined with beautiful 100 year old brick buildings. The historic Garfield County Courthouse provides the centerpiece of the community and is valiantly guarded by the bronze statue of local Civil War hero Lt John C. Mitchell.
Other diversions in Pomeroy include the Garfield County Museum, historic Seeley & Opera House, and an assortment of antique and gift shops. Homemade pie is a matter of pride here, so be sure you sample a few slices at one of the many eateries in town. Don’t feel guilty. You can work off those well-earned calories golfing, or swinging a tennis racquet at the Pomeroy City Park.
Two very famous trails, the Nez Perce Indian Trail and the Lewis and Clark Trail, also run through this community.
The city of Dayton is nestled at the foothills of the Blue Mountains. Home to three National Historic Districts with 117 buildings on the National Historic Register, the town lays claim to the oldest train depot in the state, built in 1881, and the oldest working courthouse, built in 1887 – both beautifully restored. Lewis and Clark camped here in 1806 and you can share in their experience at the Lewis and Clark Trail State Park which features valued amenities the Corps of Discovery didn’t encounter like campsites, kitchen shelters, restrooms and picnic tables.
Dayton’s renovated Main Street was once used as a racetrack for regional Indian tribes congregating for summer recreation and food gathering. Family vacation traditions still continue here due to the local charm, interesting festivals and events, and outdoor activities ranging from downhill and cross-county skiing to camping, hiking and fishing. The sight of Dayton’s Historic Main Street lined with classic cars during the All Wheels Weekend event held each year on Father’s Day Weekend is absolutely marvelous.
Dayton boasts the only 4 star restaurants in eastern Washington. The Patit Creek, and fully restored Victorian accommodation, the Weinhard Hotel. The hotel once housed a saloon owned by Jacob Weinhard in the late 1800s. Walking tour maps provide self-guided tours of the National Historic Districts, and be sure to visit the Depot, a museum that offers a guided tour of its turn of the century furnishing and the history of the area.
Climbing from Dayton into the beautiful Blue Mountains, you’ll encounter the Bluewood ski area featuring great skiing and short lift lines. Bluewood has the second highest base elevation in Washington state and is renowned for its clear skies, dry powder and excellent tree skiing-a true skier’s and snowboarder’s delight.
The Palouse, whit its quiet beauty and surprises at each stop, contains an impressive breadth of geography, history, and vacation opportunities. This is a land with loyal roots and an open door. Palouse region, visitors are always welcome. Whether joining in on one of the region’s festivals or resting beside a revered natural resource, this corner of the state is a grand spot for slowing down and jumping in. from the rolling hills of the Palouse, and the stunning gorge of Hell’s Canyon, down to the rich river valley and pristine Blue Mountains, the Palouse Region offers a reason to travel during every season.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Rocky Mountain Gateway
The western border of the Northwest is the Pacific Ocean. And just as surely, the eastern side is flanked by the Rocky Mountains. And once you get into the top right corner of Washington State, you know you’re at the Gateway to the Rockies. Mountains get sharper and ponderosa pines sweep up slopes, whispering in the wind and filling it with their pungent scent. This is the true west, real cowboy and Indian country.
In Spokane, Stevens, Ferry, and Pend Oreille Counties you can just feel the Rockies out there to the east. Roosevelt Lake wraps around the south and east sides of Ferry County. The county is filled, in large part, by the Colville Indian Reservation. State Highway 21 takes you up and through it and into the Colville National Forest and the towns of Republic, Malo, and Curlew. The sturdy core of life in these laid-back little western communities hasn’t changed much since the days when they are settled. Across the lake Kettle Falls and Colville are handsome and lively, inland northwest towns with museums and interpretive centers that present great insight into early settlement and Indian life. The basketry, rawhide clothing, and beadwork of the Colville’s and the Spokane’s are high on the list of great art.
Pend Oreille County, bisected by the Pend Oreille River is a haven for wilderness lovers and dominated by two National Forests. And Spokane County from the excellent ski slopes of Mount Spokane down to the town of Latah, which is at the north end of the Palouse, has a wide breadth of terrain and dozens of recreational opportunities.
The city of Spokane is an excellent place to visit first on an exploration trip of the Gateway to the Rockies. This handsomely laid-out and wealthy city comes by its moniker “Capitol of the Inland Empire” for good reason. And still, Spokane is one of Washington’s best kept secrets. But visit once and you’ll be in on a secret that you’ll find impossible to keep. Be certain not to miss the newly opened Museum of Arts and Culture for an excellent overview of life in this opulent and generous land.
From the rushing steams and piney forests to the north, to the civic vigor of Spokane, this northeast corner of Washington State is indeed a golden gateway to yet another part of the Golden West.
Spokane
Visitors to Spokane are inevitably struck by two things: First there is the city’s extraordinary beauty; secondly, you don’t need to be there long, or meet many residents, before you realize that Spokanites are madly in love with their city. In that way, it’s something like New York, Paris, and San Francisco. Talk to anyone on the street about their city and you’ll walk away with a bent ear at the very least. And little wonder. The biggest city between Seattle and Minneapolis, this jewel of a metropolis has a gorgeous natural setting, handsome architecture, a great river running through it, and a civic spirit that “makes it happen” with a lovable rambunctiousness.
Consider Expo 1974. Spokane was the smallest city ever to stage a world’s fair. The city threw itself into a frenzy of state-of-the-art construction, and then went on to host a world-class event. And when t was over, no one heaved a sigh of relief and coasted. Nope, Spokane turned its fair site into 100 acre Riverfront Park. Here rolling lawns, play areas, sculpture, Spokane Falls, the Opera House and Convention Center, share a home with the Looff Carousel. If you want to test your equestrian skills you can hop on one of 54 horses, a tiger or a giraffe and be spun back to the elegance and gayety of 1909 when the carousel was built. There’s even a brass ring to catch, but it’s a stretch.
And above it all in Riverfront Park, the 157 foot, 1902 Clocktower stands impeccably restored. The clock is hand-wound every Monday. This clock and the tower that house it are a legacy of the railroad era, when locomotives huffed and puffed across America and those heading west, across the northern tier of states, stopped in Spokane.
The Clocktower may be the city’s tallest piece of history, but Spokane’s architectural heritage reaches back to the 19th century. Stroll the downtown business and retail core. The Crescent Building, built in 1898 is now a consortium of stores with a food court and full-service restaurants. The city’s old steam plant, built around 1916, now bustles with diners and gift shops. The 1914 Davenport Hotel, designed by famed architect Kirtland Cutter, is so exquisitely resorted, marbled and gilded that Louis XIV would feel quite at home. The 1931 Fox Theater is a good example of Art Deco style. And up the slopes that surround Spokane, the Cathedral of St John the Evangelist, started in 1925, is fine example of the English Gothic style.
The biggest jewel in the old neighborhood called Browne’s Addition, is Patsy Clark’s Mansion. Irish immigrant and silver baron, Patrick “Patsy” Clark, had this 26 room house built in 1895 by Kirtland Cutter. The noted architect was given “carte blanche”, as Tiffany stained glass windows, lighting fixtures and marble and onyx fireplaces attest. It now houses one of the finest restaurants you’ll find anywhere. From Patsy’s dream house, up to the ancient trees, lilacs, and swatch of lawn in Manito Park, you’ll feel that you are stepping into a city that has made good living a way of life from its very beginnings.
To peer into the glory of this, the Capital of the Inland Northwest, visit the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture. From Indian basketry to 19th and 20th century decorative arts and on to contemporary paintings, the goal of this lavish and newly expanded museum is to collect, preserve, and interpret the region’s history. The museum was recently named an affiliate of the prestigious Smithsonian Institution, giving it access to even more world-class exhibits as well as educational and research programs.
From downtown Spokane, the 37 mile long Spokane River Centennial Trail connects Riverfront Park to Riverside State Park. This 10.000 acre preserve is filled with towering conifers, lava cliffs and rushing waters. It’s only a 15 minute ride by car. A similar distance outside town is Cat Tales. This is one of America’s few accredited zoological training facilities where dozens of lions, tigers, lynx and other endangered species have been rescued and given home.
Ambling along the back roads around Spokane, don’t miss Arbor Crest Wine Cellars. Headquartered in Cliff House, 450 feet above the Spokane River, the 1924 mansion was built by inventor and eccentric Royal Riblet – inventor of the square wheeled tractor and the Riblet tramway – a precursor to the gondola ski lift. While many of Riblet’s inventions have been pretty much forgotten, his grand house, 4 acres of gardens, 76 acres of grounds, and the delicious wines that come from them, live on with vigor.
Don’t just pass through Spokane. Settle in and stay awhile. It is a pivotal point for an extended vacation. Great travel adventures radiate from Spokane like spokes from the hub of a wheel. Within 50 miles of the city there are 76 lakes. Drive south to the undulating farmland of the Palouse or the Snake River and its awesomely deep Hells Canyon. To the east and north, Coeur d’Alene, Sandpoint, Priest Lake, and the wilderness of the Idaho Panhandle await you. Due north, you can visit British Columbia. Go west and you’re in the high, dry and breathtakingly beautiful Okanogan.
Spokane is said to mean “Children of the Sun” in the local Salish dialect. This is no misnomer. You can count on 260 days of sunshine, annually, in this city of nearly 195.000 with a metropolitan area of 418.000. A century ago, settlers were drawn to this place with the promise of an opulent future in the form of timber, agriculture, silver, railroads, and magnificent stretches of land. But what will draw you is much less complicated. It’s the promise of what is now, simply, Spokane. And like the Spokanites, you’ll fall madly in love with their city too.
In Spokane, Stevens, Ferry, and Pend Oreille Counties you can just feel the Rockies out there to the east. Roosevelt Lake wraps around the south and east sides of Ferry County. The county is filled, in large part, by the Colville Indian Reservation. State Highway 21 takes you up and through it and into the Colville National Forest and the towns of Republic, Malo, and Curlew. The sturdy core of life in these laid-back little western communities hasn’t changed much since the days when they are settled. Across the lake Kettle Falls and Colville are handsome and lively, inland northwest towns with museums and interpretive centers that present great insight into early settlement and Indian life. The basketry, rawhide clothing, and beadwork of the Colville’s and the Spokane’s are high on the list of great art.
Pend Oreille County, bisected by the Pend Oreille River is a haven for wilderness lovers and dominated by two National Forests. And Spokane County from the excellent ski slopes of Mount Spokane down to the town of Latah, which is at the north end of the Palouse, has a wide breadth of terrain and dozens of recreational opportunities.
The city of Spokane is an excellent place to visit first on an exploration trip of the Gateway to the Rockies. This handsomely laid-out and wealthy city comes by its moniker “Capitol of the Inland Empire” for good reason. And still, Spokane is one of Washington’s best kept secrets. But visit once and you’ll be in on a secret that you’ll find impossible to keep. Be certain not to miss the newly opened Museum of Arts and Culture for an excellent overview of life in this opulent and generous land.
From the rushing steams and piney forests to the north, to the civic vigor of Spokane, this northeast corner of Washington State is indeed a golden gateway to yet another part of the Golden West.
Spokane
Visitors to Spokane are inevitably struck by two things: First there is the city’s extraordinary beauty; secondly, you don’t need to be there long, or meet many residents, before you realize that Spokanites are madly in love with their city. In that way, it’s something like New York, Paris, and San Francisco. Talk to anyone on the street about their city and you’ll walk away with a bent ear at the very least. And little wonder. The biggest city between Seattle and Minneapolis, this jewel of a metropolis has a gorgeous natural setting, handsome architecture, a great river running through it, and a civic spirit that “makes it happen” with a lovable rambunctiousness.
Consider Expo 1974. Spokane was the smallest city ever to stage a world’s fair. The city threw itself into a frenzy of state-of-the-art construction, and then went on to host a world-class event. And when t was over, no one heaved a sigh of relief and coasted. Nope, Spokane turned its fair site into 100 acre Riverfront Park. Here rolling lawns, play areas, sculpture, Spokane Falls, the Opera House and Convention Center, share a home with the Looff Carousel. If you want to test your equestrian skills you can hop on one of 54 horses, a tiger or a giraffe and be spun back to the elegance and gayety of 1909 when the carousel was built. There’s even a brass ring to catch, but it’s a stretch.
And above it all in Riverfront Park, the 157 foot, 1902 Clocktower stands impeccably restored. The clock is hand-wound every Monday. This clock and the tower that house it are a legacy of the railroad era, when locomotives huffed and puffed across America and those heading west, across the northern tier of states, stopped in Spokane.
The Clocktower may be the city’s tallest piece of history, but Spokane’s architectural heritage reaches back to the 19th century. Stroll the downtown business and retail core. The Crescent Building, built in 1898 is now a consortium of stores with a food court and full-service restaurants. The city’s old steam plant, built around 1916, now bustles with diners and gift shops. The 1914 Davenport Hotel, designed by famed architect Kirtland Cutter, is so exquisitely resorted, marbled and gilded that Louis XIV would feel quite at home. The 1931 Fox Theater is a good example of Art Deco style. And up the slopes that surround Spokane, the Cathedral of St John the Evangelist, started in 1925, is fine example of the English Gothic style.
The biggest jewel in the old neighborhood called Browne’s Addition, is Patsy Clark’s Mansion. Irish immigrant and silver baron, Patrick “Patsy” Clark, had this 26 room house built in 1895 by Kirtland Cutter. The noted architect was given “carte blanche”, as Tiffany stained glass windows, lighting fixtures and marble and onyx fireplaces attest. It now houses one of the finest restaurants you’ll find anywhere. From Patsy’s dream house, up to the ancient trees, lilacs, and swatch of lawn in Manito Park, you’ll feel that you are stepping into a city that has made good living a way of life from its very beginnings.
To peer into the glory of this, the Capital of the Inland Northwest, visit the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture. From Indian basketry to 19th and 20th century decorative arts and on to contemporary paintings, the goal of this lavish and newly expanded museum is to collect, preserve, and interpret the region’s history. The museum was recently named an affiliate of the prestigious Smithsonian Institution, giving it access to even more world-class exhibits as well as educational and research programs.
From downtown Spokane, the 37 mile long Spokane River Centennial Trail connects Riverfront Park to Riverside State Park. This 10.000 acre preserve is filled with towering conifers, lava cliffs and rushing waters. It’s only a 15 minute ride by car. A similar distance outside town is Cat Tales. This is one of America’s few accredited zoological training facilities where dozens of lions, tigers, lynx and other endangered species have been rescued and given home.
Ambling along the back roads around Spokane, don’t miss Arbor Crest Wine Cellars. Headquartered in Cliff House, 450 feet above the Spokane River, the 1924 mansion was built by inventor and eccentric Royal Riblet – inventor of the square wheeled tractor and the Riblet tramway – a precursor to the gondola ski lift. While many of Riblet’s inventions have been pretty much forgotten, his grand house, 4 acres of gardens, 76 acres of grounds, and the delicious wines that come from them, live on with vigor.
Don’t just pass through Spokane. Settle in and stay awhile. It is a pivotal point for an extended vacation. Great travel adventures radiate from Spokane like spokes from the hub of a wheel. Within 50 miles of the city there are 76 lakes. Drive south to the undulating farmland of the Palouse or the Snake River and its awesomely deep Hells Canyon. To the east and north, Coeur d’Alene, Sandpoint, Priest Lake, and the wilderness of the Idaho Panhandle await you. Due north, you can visit British Columbia. Go west and you’re in the high, dry and breathtakingly beautiful Okanogan.
Spokane is said to mean “Children of the Sun” in the local Salish dialect. This is no misnomer. You can count on 260 days of sunshine, annually, in this city of nearly 195.000 with a metropolitan area of 418.000. A century ago, settlers were drawn to this place with the promise of an opulent future in the form of timber, agriculture, silver, railroads, and magnificent stretches of land. But what will draw you is much less complicated. It’s the promise of what is now, simply, Spokane. And like the Spokanites, you’ll fall madly in love with their city too.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wine Country
Ever hold a glass of Chardonnay up to the light and look at the color? There’s a sparkle to it, the color of sunshine. And that’s what the land looks like from Yakima to Walla Walla. It has a golden glow. Add in the pinks and reds and rich purples of the sunrises and sunsets and you have the colors of wine country. Here in this dry, rocky terrain where days are bright, irrigation canals bring water to the desert soil and, in less than three decades, this has become some of the prime wine grape growing land of the world.
You can see the vineyards, visit the wineries, and taste and buy the products just following the roads that loop around Yakima, Benton, Walla Walla and Franklin counties. In the tasting rooms friendly faces, folks who love their work and are eager to teach you about the production and uses of wine, will greet you. Many have gift shops. But the bottled delights of the region are only a part of the fun to be had in the state’s wine county. Yakima has several museums and an architecturally rich downtown. The city maintains a close connection with the Yakama Indian Nation. And here, also, you’ll get some of the best Mexican food north of the Rio Grande. The area boasts a large and thriving Hispanic population. And if you are hankering to roller blade, bike, jog, or just walk your dog, the Yakima Greenway is a 10 mile paved trail that leads from Selah to Union Gap through Yakima’s eastern edge along the Yakima and Naches Rivers.
Further east the Tri-Cities (Richland, Pasco, and Kennewick) are another great spot to river walk. You’ll be along the mighty Columbia and its confluence with the Snake. Like many spots in the state, Lewis and Clark and their Corps of Discovery passed through here on their way to the Pacific. Riverfront lodging, most with large full-service restaurants, offer great places to headquarter and explore this trio of boomtowns.
And even more to the east in Walla Walla (a place so wonderful they named it twice) you can settle into one of the most charming old towns in America. Walk the downtown with its newly renovated Marcus Whitman Hotel, visit Whitman College campus, or go to one of the towns many art galleries. Walla Walla has an enormous arts community. It is one of those places that people just pick-up and move to, staying happily ever after. And to supplement the area’s excellent wines, there are also a number of good restaurants in Walla Walla.
Pop the cork on your spirit of adventure and head out to Washington’s wine country. Like a great meal, the area includes a delightful encounter with Washington wine, but there’s much more to it than that. You’ll leave feeling quite full and thoroughly nurtured.
Yakima Valley
There’s a reason why Yakima Valley is so popular with visitors – there’s lots of sunshine here, making this agricultural Mecca as nurturing to humans as it is to the fruits and vegetables that thrive throughout the area. A short two-hour drive from Seattle, or three from Portland, the Yakima Valley seems to put in a special order each day for mesmerizing cloud formations and a brand of clean, clear air that’s a bit addictive.
The valley, with its placid rolling hills and acres of orchards filled with orderly rows of the varied crops of the area, provides a delightful blend of sunbeam-blessed options. This is proud Washington Wine Country, home to more than 30 regional wineries. Whether you’re a white-water rafter, fly fisherman, hunter or a passionate wine or fruit aficionado, the Yakima Valley can deliver a fun-filled vacation or short get-away.
The largest community and county seat is Yakima. It’s easily negotiated streets and picturesque historic section of downtown make exploring the city effortless and fun. Downtown’s Yakima Valley Museum and Children’s Underground Museum is a great spot to experience the natural and cultural history of the area. The museum touts the largest collection of wooden wagons west of the Mississippi, horse-drawn vehicles and Indian art and artifacts. Treat the family at the Museum’s Soda Fountain, an authentic replica of a 1930s diner serving ice cream sundaes, sodas, and hot dogs.
Just east of the freeway, visit the Washington’s Fruit Place Visitor Center to sample complimentary apple juice while gathering information about the growing process. Bring your bikes, roller blades or walking shoes and join local families and exercisers on the adjacent Yakima Greenway, a ten mile paved path along the Yakima River.
As you enter the Lower Valley through Union Gap, you’ll enter the Yakama Nation. Take note of the native burial ground and battlefield monument just after you pass through the gap on Highway 97. A 45-minute drive southwest of Union Gap (near White Swan) will lead to historic Fort Simcoe, a 1850s era military installation established to keep peace between the Yakamas and early white settlers.
For the ultimate photo opportunity, travel to the historic Teapot gas station built in 1922 to mock the Teapot Dome Scandal of the Warren G. Harding administration. You can find the Teapot near Zillah between Yakima and Sunnyside on Interstate 82, which is also the starting point for the “Fruit Loop” tour, a beautiful agri-tour of the neighboring wineries and orchards.
Visit Toppenish “Where the West Still Lives”. Discover the city of murals and museums. This Yakama Reservation community features a picturesque collection of 62 murals with a variety of events to complement them. Catch a real glimpse of the old-west. Attend Mural-In-A-Day in June. You’ll experience Indian traditions, pow wows, rodeos, music festivals, wildlife, and camping, golfing, casino gaming, and shopping. Make plans today to relive the old-west.
Ten miles southeast of Toppenish, Granger is home to nearly a dozen dinosaurs. From the smallest replication to the largest, this collection of playground equipment includes baby brontosaurus and a T-rex.
Sunnyside hosts the Darigold Dairy Fair featuring a self-guided tour of a cheese plant as well as a variety of Washington foods, dairy trinkets, and good, fresh ice cream. The nearby town of Prosser also provides a grand palate of offering to travelers. From their many world-class wineries to the ultimate cherry, Prosser provides divine sustenance, never more evident than during the annual August Prosser Wine and Food Fair.
Year-round, the Yakima Valley can always promise adventure; whether it’s serious antiquing, challenging outdoor recreation or partaking in the valley’s renowned crops. There’s something for everyone in this mystical valley.
Tri-Cities
Some regard the Tri-Cities area as the most desirable and unique destination in Washington. What makes the area highly unusual is the marriage between three cities that collectively establishes what could be regarded as its own mini-kingdom; your potential vacation experiences are automatically multiplied because of this strong partnership.
Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland create the triumvirate “Tri-Cities”, a significant geographical configuration. The region’s confluence of the Snake, Yakima and Columbia Rivers – combined with an average 300 days of sunshine each year – brings considerable choices for water sports. Sailing, boating, water or jet skiing, fishing, and swimming are all prime activities here.
Cloudless days are a standing invitation to enjoy the great outdoors. Golfers from throughout the region gather to enjoy the four driving ranges and ten beautiful golf courses. Bicyclist hum happily along the over 22 miles of well-maintained riverfront paths, and off-road vehicle enthusiast have a hey day with the varied and challenging terrain.
The Tri-Cities is a vital resting and feeding area for migratory waterfowl on the Pacific flyway, with eight National Wildlife Refuges and Reserves in the area. Bring your camera and binoculars and keep silent company with the many species of songbirds. Be alert also for the occasional sightings of beaver, river otter, mule deer and other riparian wildlife.
The Hanford Reach National Monument is regarded as the pre-eminent wildlife viewing area, with the only free-flowing, non-tidal stretch of the Columbia River in the U.S. This 51 mile stretch of river flows through cloud white bluffs taupe colored dunes and dramatic desert plateaus. The combination of geological riches, encompassing the river, shoreline, Hanford Dunes and Arid and Ecology Reserve, is the site of scientific and historic treasures. The best viewing of The Reach is on a commercial boat tour, which provides a perfect, non-intrusive view of this federally protected, non-vehicle area.
A nice, relaxing way to experience the area’s natural beauty is to walk or ride your bike along the Sacagawea Heritage Trail, 22 miles of lovely riverfront paths, those threads between Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland.
The combination of long summer days and cool, crisp evenings is ideal for the Columbia Valley’s premium wine grapes, and within a 50 mile radius there are 53 excellent wineries. Situated at the same latitude as the great Burgundy and Bordeaux regions of France – graced with rich volcanic soil and that ever-present sunshine – the Columbia Valley has had extraordinary success with their wineries. Washington state’s oldest winery is here, as it its largest. Plan to make a Winery Tour and sample what is becoming an internationally acclaimed, Washington grown product.
Walla Walla
The communities of Walla Walla County are rich in history, natural resources, and inherent beauty. There are four distinct seasons here, plenty of sunshine, and a lively checklist of things to do. If outdoor recreation is your thing, whether you prefer hunting, hiking, fishing, golfing, or biking – virtually any imaginable activity is available near here.
If you were a location scout for a movie that needed the perfect Main Street, you’d be well advised to visit Walla Walla. The city’s renovated entry is a point of pride for residents and a pure delight for visitors, and it’s just the spot to capture hometown charm. With the architecturally significant and historic structures returned to their original glory, the downtown creates a perfect marriage of old and new.
Walla Walla’s history is preserved and celebrated at two local museums. Fort Walla Walla Museum reminds visitors of the town’s beginnings as a mid-19th century military reservation with 16 original and replica buildings creating a pioneer village. Lewis and Clark took an overland shortcut through Walla Walla County on their return trip from the Pacific coast, and the museum has a life-sized diorama depicting those events of 1806.
The Whitman Mission National Historic Site, just seven miles west of Walla Walla on Highway 12, references the mission built in 1836 by Marcus and Narcissa Whitman and details the relationship with the Cayuse tribe that led to their unfortunate demise. Each weekend there are cultural demonstrations replicating pioneer and Cayuse life in the 1840s.
A Downtown Walla Walla Walking Tour highlight the area’s notable historic buildings including the beautifully restored Marcus Whitman Hotel (1928), Liberty Theatre (1917), and the Dacres Hotel (1899) with its intriguing façade, arched windows and brickwork. One of the Northwest’s outstanding Victorian structures, the 1880s Kirkman House is open to view from April 1 through November 30.
The mixture of climate and rich volcanic soil has created an ideal environment for growing wine grapes – a fact that has not escaped the attention of some of the state’s premier winemakers. As a result, Walla Walla Valley wines consistently achieve national and international acclaim. Many of the area’s outstanding wineries are open for tasting and tours and frequently host special wine-tasting events and festivities to toast the Valley’s proud heritage.
The arts are treasured here, from the foundry that casts sculptor’s artistry into products, to a wide selection of music provided at the Summer Sounds on the Plaza downtown. There’s a well-regarded symphony and dance and theatre productions through the Walla Walla Little Theatre. Campus productions can be enjoyed at any of the three local colleges, where you can also take advantage of the public art viewing opportunities featuring outdoor sculptures and several galleries.
Because of the almost year-round sunshine, festivals have a perfect environment in which to thrive. The Woodstock Music Festival, last weekend in June, spotlight local musicians and July’s Walla Walla Sweet Onion Blues festival, promotes local blues bands, food and crafts. And, of course the most colorful festival, the annual Balloon Stampede is held every May.
The adjacent towns of Milton-Freewater and Waitsburg provide the perfect afternoon venture. Waitsburg, home to the Bruce Memorial Museum, is the site of the Pioneer Fall Festival with arts and crafts of the 1800s, and the end of October celebrates the almost mystical fall colors here with the four-day Fall Festival of Foliage and Feathers. There are over 310 bird species in the area and the festival includes a variety of wildlife related activities, with emphasis on identification of Walla Walla Valley birds.
Ten miles south of Walla Walla, Milton-Freewater is site of the Frazier Farmstead Museum, with a turn-of-the-century home complete with many original furnishings.
Regardless of the variety of interests in your family, Walla Walla will deliver a rewarding vacation experience. Rich in history, art, culture and a tremendous variety of outdoor recreation opportunities, it is a place you’ll want to put on your list of “must dos” for the upcoming year. From morning till evening, under sunny skies and gentle nights, the communities of Walla Walla County await and welcome you. Prepare to be fully entertained.
You can see the vineyards, visit the wineries, and taste and buy the products just following the roads that loop around Yakima, Benton, Walla Walla and Franklin counties. In the tasting rooms friendly faces, folks who love their work and are eager to teach you about the production and uses of wine, will greet you. Many have gift shops. But the bottled delights of the region are only a part of the fun to be had in the state’s wine county. Yakima has several museums and an architecturally rich downtown. The city maintains a close connection with the Yakama Indian Nation. And here, also, you’ll get some of the best Mexican food north of the Rio Grande. The area boasts a large and thriving Hispanic population. And if you are hankering to roller blade, bike, jog, or just walk your dog, the Yakima Greenway is a 10 mile paved trail that leads from Selah to Union Gap through Yakima’s eastern edge along the Yakima and Naches Rivers.
Further east the Tri-Cities (Richland, Pasco, and Kennewick) are another great spot to river walk. You’ll be along the mighty Columbia and its confluence with the Snake. Like many spots in the state, Lewis and Clark and their Corps of Discovery passed through here on their way to the Pacific. Riverfront lodging, most with large full-service restaurants, offer great places to headquarter and explore this trio of boomtowns.
And even more to the east in Walla Walla (a place so wonderful they named it twice) you can settle into one of the most charming old towns in America. Walk the downtown with its newly renovated Marcus Whitman Hotel, visit Whitman College campus, or go to one of the towns many art galleries. Walla Walla has an enormous arts community. It is one of those places that people just pick-up and move to, staying happily ever after. And to supplement the area’s excellent wines, there are also a number of good restaurants in Walla Walla.
Pop the cork on your spirit of adventure and head out to Washington’s wine country. Like a great meal, the area includes a delightful encounter with Washington wine, but there’s much more to it than that. You’ll leave feeling quite full and thoroughly nurtured.
Yakima Valley
There’s a reason why Yakima Valley is so popular with visitors – there’s lots of sunshine here, making this agricultural Mecca as nurturing to humans as it is to the fruits and vegetables that thrive throughout the area. A short two-hour drive from Seattle, or three from Portland, the Yakima Valley seems to put in a special order each day for mesmerizing cloud formations and a brand of clean, clear air that’s a bit addictive.
The valley, with its placid rolling hills and acres of orchards filled with orderly rows of the varied crops of the area, provides a delightful blend of sunbeam-blessed options. This is proud Washington Wine Country, home to more than 30 regional wineries. Whether you’re a white-water rafter, fly fisherman, hunter or a passionate wine or fruit aficionado, the Yakima Valley can deliver a fun-filled vacation or short get-away.
The largest community and county seat is Yakima. It’s easily negotiated streets and picturesque historic section of downtown make exploring the city effortless and fun. Downtown’s Yakima Valley Museum and Children’s Underground Museum is a great spot to experience the natural and cultural history of the area. The museum touts the largest collection of wooden wagons west of the Mississippi, horse-drawn vehicles and Indian art and artifacts. Treat the family at the Museum’s Soda Fountain, an authentic replica of a 1930s diner serving ice cream sundaes, sodas, and hot dogs.
Just east of the freeway, visit the Washington’s Fruit Place Visitor Center to sample complimentary apple juice while gathering information about the growing process. Bring your bikes, roller blades or walking shoes and join local families and exercisers on the adjacent Yakima Greenway, a ten mile paved path along the Yakima River.
As you enter the Lower Valley through Union Gap, you’ll enter the Yakama Nation. Take note of the native burial ground and battlefield monument just after you pass through the gap on Highway 97. A 45-minute drive southwest of Union Gap (near White Swan) will lead to historic Fort Simcoe, a 1850s era military installation established to keep peace between the Yakamas and early white settlers.
For the ultimate photo opportunity, travel to the historic Teapot gas station built in 1922 to mock the Teapot Dome Scandal of the Warren G. Harding administration. You can find the Teapot near Zillah between Yakima and Sunnyside on Interstate 82, which is also the starting point for the “Fruit Loop” tour, a beautiful agri-tour of the neighboring wineries and orchards.
Visit Toppenish “Where the West Still Lives”. Discover the city of murals and museums. This Yakama Reservation community features a picturesque collection of 62 murals with a variety of events to complement them. Catch a real glimpse of the old-west. Attend Mural-In-A-Day in June. You’ll experience Indian traditions, pow wows, rodeos, music festivals, wildlife, and camping, golfing, casino gaming, and shopping. Make plans today to relive the old-west.
Ten miles southeast of Toppenish, Granger is home to nearly a dozen dinosaurs. From the smallest replication to the largest, this collection of playground equipment includes baby brontosaurus and a T-rex.
Sunnyside hosts the Darigold Dairy Fair featuring a self-guided tour of a cheese plant as well as a variety of Washington foods, dairy trinkets, and good, fresh ice cream. The nearby town of Prosser also provides a grand palate of offering to travelers. From their many world-class wineries to the ultimate cherry, Prosser provides divine sustenance, never more evident than during the annual August Prosser Wine and Food Fair.
Year-round, the Yakima Valley can always promise adventure; whether it’s serious antiquing, challenging outdoor recreation or partaking in the valley’s renowned crops. There’s something for everyone in this mystical valley.
Tri-Cities
Some regard the Tri-Cities area as the most desirable and unique destination in Washington. What makes the area highly unusual is the marriage between three cities that collectively establishes what could be regarded as its own mini-kingdom; your potential vacation experiences are automatically multiplied because of this strong partnership.
Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland create the triumvirate “Tri-Cities”, a significant geographical configuration. The region’s confluence of the Snake, Yakima and Columbia Rivers – combined with an average 300 days of sunshine each year – brings considerable choices for water sports. Sailing, boating, water or jet skiing, fishing, and swimming are all prime activities here.
Cloudless days are a standing invitation to enjoy the great outdoors. Golfers from throughout the region gather to enjoy the four driving ranges and ten beautiful golf courses. Bicyclist hum happily along the over 22 miles of well-maintained riverfront paths, and off-road vehicle enthusiast have a hey day with the varied and challenging terrain.
The Tri-Cities is a vital resting and feeding area for migratory waterfowl on the Pacific flyway, with eight National Wildlife Refuges and Reserves in the area. Bring your camera and binoculars and keep silent company with the many species of songbirds. Be alert also for the occasional sightings of beaver, river otter, mule deer and other riparian wildlife.
The Hanford Reach National Monument is regarded as the pre-eminent wildlife viewing area, with the only free-flowing, non-tidal stretch of the Columbia River in the U.S. This 51 mile stretch of river flows through cloud white bluffs taupe colored dunes and dramatic desert plateaus. The combination of geological riches, encompassing the river, shoreline, Hanford Dunes and Arid and Ecology Reserve, is the site of scientific and historic treasures. The best viewing of The Reach is on a commercial boat tour, which provides a perfect, non-intrusive view of this federally protected, non-vehicle area.
A nice, relaxing way to experience the area’s natural beauty is to walk or ride your bike along the Sacagawea Heritage Trail, 22 miles of lovely riverfront paths, those threads between Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland.
The combination of long summer days and cool, crisp evenings is ideal for the Columbia Valley’s premium wine grapes, and within a 50 mile radius there are 53 excellent wineries. Situated at the same latitude as the great Burgundy and Bordeaux regions of France – graced with rich volcanic soil and that ever-present sunshine – the Columbia Valley has had extraordinary success with their wineries. Washington state’s oldest winery is here, as it its largest. Plan to make a Winery Tour and sample what is becoming an internationally acclaimed, Washington grown product.
Walla Walla
The communities of Walla Walla County are rich in history, natural resources, and inherent beauty. There are four distinct seasons here, plenty of sunshine, and a lively checklist of things to do. If outdoor recreation is your thing, whether you prefer hunting, hiking, fishing, golfing, or biking – virtually any imaginable activity is available near here.
If you were a location scout for a movie that needed the perfect Main Street, you’d be well advised to visit Walla Walla. The city’s renovated entry is a point of pride for residents and a pure delight for visitors, and it’s just the spot to capture hometown charm. With the architecturally significant and historic structures returned to their original glory, the downtown creates a perfect marriage of old and new.
Walla Walla’s history is preserved and celebrated at two local museums. Fort Walla Walla Museum reminds visitors of the town’s beginnings as a mid-19th century military reservation with 16 original and replica buildings creating a pioneer village. Lewis and Clark took an overland shortcut through Walla Walla County on their return trip from the Pacific coast, and the museum has a life-sized diorama depicting those events of 1806.
The Whitman Mission National Historic Site, just seven miles west of Walla Walla on Highway 12, references the mission built in 1836 by Marcus and Narcissa Whitman and details the relationship with the Cayuse tribe that led to their unfortunate demise. Each weekend there are cultural demonstrations replicating pioneer and Cayuse life in the 1840s.
A Downtown Walla Walla Walking Tour highlight the area’s notable historic buildings including the beautifully restored Marcus Whitman Hotel (1928), Liberty Theatre (1917), and the Dacres Hotel (1899) with its intriguing façade, arched windows and brickwork. One of the Northwest’s outstanding Victorian structures, the 1880s Kirkman House is open to view from April 1 through November 30.
The mixture of climate and rich volcanic soil has created an ideal environment for growing wine grapes – a fact that has not escaped the attention of some of the state’s premier winemakers. As a result, Walla Walla Valley wines consistently achieve national and international acclaim. Many of the area’s outstanding wineries are open for tasting and tours and frequently host special wine-tasting events and festivities to toast the Valley’s proud heritage.
The arts are treasured here, from the foundry that casts sculptor’s artistry into products, to a wide selection of music provided at the Summer Sounds on the Plaza downtown. There’s a well-regarded symphony and dance and theatre productions through the Walla Walla Little Theatre. Campus productions can be enjoyed at any of the three local colleges, where you can also take advantage of the public art viewing opportunities featuring outdoor sculptures and several galleries.
Because of the almost year-round sunshine, festivals have a perfect environment in which to thrive. The Woodstock Music Festival, last weekend in June, spotlight local musicians and July’s Walla Walla Sweet Onion Blues festival, promotes local blues bands, food and crafts. And, of course the most colorful festival, the annual Balloon Stampede is held every May.
The adjacent towns of Milton-Freewater and Waitsburg provide the perfect afternoon venture. Waitsburg, home to the Bruce Memorial Museum, is the site of the Pioneer Fall Festival with arts and crafts of the 1800s, and the end of October celebrates the almost mystical fall colors here with the four-day Fall Festival of Foliage and Feathers. There are over 310 bird species in the area and the festival includes a variety of wildlife related activities, with emphasis on identification of Walla Walla Valley birds.
Ten miles south of Walla Walla, Milton-Freewater is site of the Frazier Farmstead Museum, with a turn-of-the-century home complete with many original furnishings.
Regardless of the variety of interests in your family, Walla Walla will deliver a rewarding vacation experience. Rich in history, art, culture and a tremendous variety of outdoor recreation opportunities, it is a place you’ll want to put on your list of “must dos” for the upcoming year. From morning till evening, under sunny skies and gentle nights, the communities of Walla Walla County await and welcome you. Prepare to be fully entertained.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Columbia River Plateau
High drama nearly always involves the unexpected. And there is something spellbindingly dramatic about coming over a hill in dry, rocky terrain and seeing water. Not just a stream or a puddle, but great expanses of cool, blue, sparkling water. And therein lays the secret of the high plateau to the north of the Columbia River. It is strangely theatrical country.
Driving Interstate 90, Moses Lake in Grant County and Sprague Lake in Adams and Lincoln Counties are the most easily seen evidence of this natural dualism. But once off the beaten track, these handsome lakes seem like mere drops in the bucket. Potholes Reservoir south of Interstate 90 in Grant County is the largest in a collection of lakes where birds by the thousands collect to feed and rest on migration routes. Up north in the county, Soap Lake and the Sun Lakes are prime splashing grounds for Washingtonians in search of the old-fashioned kind of summer fun that includes blistering days and chilly water. And for perspective into what this area might look like without the blessing of H2O, visit the Dry Falls of the Columbia.
Dry Falls formed when a torrent of ice and water caused by a massive ice dam break, forced the Columbia to change course in one cataclysmic event. When the river receded to its original course, it dried up the falls and left behind some of the most spectacular rock formations and landscapes on the continent. The dry falls are an excellent lesson in ancient geology.
Banks Lake at the south end of Grand Coulee Dam straddles Douglas and Grant Counties. Often photographed, it is a scenic wonder with dark water framed by soaring cliffs. It’s worth several hours around Steamboat Rock just to watch the play of light and shadows on the cliffs. The broad ribbon of Columbia River water above the dam forms the northern border of Lincoln County. The little towns of Grand Coulee, Electric City, and Coulee Dam are fun to poke around. You’ll find several good restaurants and collectible shops where treasures like wagon wheels, rusted barbed-wire wreaths, and old saddle blankets are in good supply.
The Columbia River Plateau is a land of sunny days and starry nights. It’s easy to speed through traveling Interstate 90, but don’t cheat yourself. Slow down, make a turn or two. Have a meal. Take a dip. Soak up some sun. The air is clean. The folks are friendly. And you can well expect to idle away many a happy day without a hassle because the only high drama here is in the rocks and the water.
Grant County
Eons ago, prehistoric lava flows and mammoth ice age floods profoundly impacted Grant County’s Columbia Plateau. These giant geographic hands sculpted a landscape teeming with drama. This region has its own brand of beauty; the light here somehow glistens brighter as the stark beauty of the surrounding hills display intriguing shades of shadows.
With over 150 volcanic eruptions covering this eastern Washington area, the area has a vast lava field that is something three miles thick. The Grand Coulee, Dry Falls and Drumheller Channels all contribute to a geologic smorgasbord rich with rugged cliffs, canyons, lakes, and arid sagebrush grasslands. A virtual wonderland for visitors, Grant County’s splendor promises a surprise around every corner.
At the northern tip of the county is the astounding Grand Coulee Dam. The Visitor Arrival Center offers guided tours of the dam and each evening, from late May through the end of September, the laser light show features animated graphics against the dramatic white wall of water that cascades down the giant spillway.
Just south of the dam is Dry Falls, created when glacial Lake Missoula, now covering much of the area we know as Montana, burst through its ice dam in a cataclysmic event of massive proportions. Today as you view the 3.5 mile wide, 400 foot high ancient riverbed, it is easy to imagine the power of the falls that once thundered on this site. In its heyday, the waterfall was ten times the size of Niagara Falls.
Spelunkers will want to travel south on Highway 17 where time stands still in the Lake Lenore Caves. There are seven accessible caves, formed during the Montana floods 12.000 years ago. If you get a bit dusty from your explorations, venture into nearby Soap Lake, known for its “healing waters” by early Indian residents.
The lake population is hearty in Grant County, with Blue Lake perfect for family fishing, Sun Lake State Park & Resort offering a full menu of amenities for enjoyment. Banks Lake, filled with water from Lake Roosevelt, is famous for great walleye and bass fishing. And, for an out of this world experience, venture to the Potholes Wildlife Recreation area with 35,100 acres of dunes and marshes and a landscape that looks like a perfect setting for a moon walk.
There are several appealing towns and cities within Grant County. Ephrata, on Highway 28, is site of the Grant County Historical Museum and Village, containing a 29 building village of authentic and reconstructed units including a saloon, dress shop, school, printing office, barbershop, blacksmith shop, and livery stable.
The town of Quincy, just west of Ephrata, is in the heart of the farming and agricultural processing industries in the county. There’s a spectacular Columbia Basin view from the top of Monument Hill overlooking downtown.
Moses Lake, set at the shores of one of the state’s largest natural fresh water lakes, offers visitors a wide range of outdoor recreation options, with parks, campgrounds, and a city filled with amenities. Visit the Farmer’s Market on Saturdays and the Centennial Theatre, an outdoor amphitheatre located on the waterfront where free concerts entertain visitors and residents most summer Saturdays.
Driving Interstate 90, Moses Lake in Grant County and Sprague Lake in Adams and Lincoln Counties are the most easily seen evidence of this natural dualism. But once off the beaten track, these handsome lakes seem like mere drops in the bucket. Potholes Reservoir south of Interstate 90 in Grant County is the largest in a collection of lakes where birds by the thousands collect to feed and rest on migration routes. Up north in the county, Soap Lake and the Sun Lakes are prime splashing grounds for Washingtonians in search of the old-fashioned kind of summer fun that includes blistering days and chilly water. And for perspective into what this area might look like without the blessing of H2O, visit the Dry Falls of the Columbia.
Dry Falls formed when a torrent of ice and water caused by a massive ice dam break, forced the Columbia to change course in one cataclysmic event. When the river receded to its original course, it dried up the falls and left behind some of the most spectacular rock formations and landscapes on the continent. The dry falls are an excellent lesson in ancient geology.
Banks Lake at the south end of Grand Coulee Dam straddles Douglas and Grant Counties. Often photographed, it is a scenic wonder with dark water framed by soaring cliffs. It’s worth several hours around Steamboat Rock just to watch the play of light and shadows on the cliffs. The broad ribbon of Columbia River water above the dam forms the northern border of Lincoln County. The little towns of Grand Coulee, Electric City, and Coulee Dam are fun to poke around. You’ll find several good restaurants and collectible shops where treasures like wagon wheels, rusted barbed-wire wreaths, and old saddle blankets are in good supply.
The Columbia River Plateau is a land of sunny days and starry nights. It’s easy to speed through traveling Interstate 90, but don’t cheat yourself. Slow down, make a turn or two. Have a meal. Take a dip. Soak up some sun. The air is clean. The folks are friendly. And you can well expect to idle away many a happy day without a hassle because the only high drama here is in the rocks and the water.
Grant County
Eons ago, prehistoric lava flows and mammoth ice age floods profoundly impacted Grant County’s Columbia Plateau. These giant geographic hands sculpted a landscape teeming with drama. This region has its own brand of beauty; the light here somehow glistens brighter as the stark beauty of the surrounding hills display intriguing shades of shadows.
With over 150 volcanic eruptions covering this eastern Washington area, the area has a vast lava field that is something three miles thick. The Grand Coulee, Dry Falls and Drumheller Channels all contribute to a geologic smorgasbord rich with rugged cliffs, canyons, lakes, and arid sagebrush grasslands. A virtual wonderland for visitors, Grant County’s splendor promises a surprise around every corner.
At the northern tip of the county is the astounding Grand Coulee Dam. The Visitor Arrival Center offers guided tours of the dam and each evening, from late May through the end of September, the laser light show features animated graphics against the dramatic white wall of water that cascades down the giant spillway.
Just south of the dam is Dry Falls, created when glacial Lake Missoula, now covering much of the area we know as Montana, burst through its ice dam in a cataclysmic event of massive proportions. Today as you view the 3.5 mile wide, 400 foot high ancient riverbed, it is easy to imagine the power of the falls that once thundered on this site. In its heyday, the waterfall was ten times the size of Niagara Falls.
Spelunkers will want to travel south on Highway 17 where time stands still in the Lake Lenore Caves. There are seven accessible caves, formed during the Montana floods 12.000 years ago. If you get a bit dusty from your explorations, venture into nearby Soap Lake, known for its “healing waters” by early Indian residents.
The lake population is hearty in Grant County, with Blue Lake perfect for family fishing, Sun Lake State Park & Resort offering a full menu of amenities for enjoyment. Banks Lake, filled with water from Lake Roosevelt, is famous for great walleye and bass fishing. And, for an out of this world experience, venture to the Potholes Wildlife Recreation area with 35,100 acres of dunes and marshes and a landscape that looks like a perfect setting for a moon walk.
There are several appealing towns and cities within Grant County. Ephrata, on Highway 28, is site of the Grant County Historical Museum and Village, containing a 29 building village of authentic and reconstructed units including a saloon, dress shop, school, printing office, barbershop, blacksmith shop, and livery stable.
The town of Quincy, just west of Ephrata, is in the heart of the farming and agricultural processing industries in the county. There’s a spectacular Columbia Basin view from the top of Monument Hill overlooking downtown.
Moses Lake, set at the shores of one of the state’s largest natural fresh water lakes, offers visitors a wide range of outdoor recreation options, with parks, campgrounds, and a city filled with amenities. Visit the Farmer’s Market on Saturdays and the Centennial Theatre, an outdoor amphitheatre located on the waterfront where free concerts entertain visitors and residents most summer Saturdays.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Volcano Country
For over a century tourists have enjoyed the natural wonders of Washington State. Even back then, hardly a travel publication or book on geology was without a mention of the fact that Washington is volcano country. We’ve always known that volcanic eruption was a possibility in Washington, but few of us really felt it. The 18th of May 1980 changed all that. After weeks of ominous rumbling, Mount St. Helens fulfilled her promise and sent a cubic mile of rock into the air, which circled the world in a cloud of volcanic ash.
The land to the east was blanketed in ash. Giant timbers where flung like toothpicks. The great, gaping crater looked like the surface of the moon. But as devastating as it was, the blast left behind a renewed awareness of the power of nature, geologic time, and an educational legacy that has given school children a first hand understanding of volcanology.
The best and most comprehensive look at volcano country is to be found, of course, at the visitor areas and interpretive centers of Mount St. Helens Volcanic National Monument a day gives you a solid, glimpse; several days or a week will solidify the education like cooled lava.
Skamania, Cowlitz and Lewis Counties share the reigning star of Washington’s volcano heritage, but the experience is hardly complete with a visit to Mount St. Helens alone. Mount Rainier has lessons to teach, as does the Columbia Gorge from Clark County east. The palisades and basalt outcroppings along the gorge are ancient proof of the regions fiery past. Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center and Big Lava Bed in Skamania County offer potent insight into the lives of volcanoes, as do the scenic wonders of Klickitat County from White Salmon east to Maryhill Museum. And once on that stretch of the gorge, the replica of Stonehenge, as out of place as it may seem, is a quirky reminder of man’s long standing worship of nature.
Any of these areas can be reached in a day-long, but fascinating roundtrip from Tacoma or Olympia. Both are excellent places to headquarter. Both are great discoveries on their own, from Tacoma’s booming waterfront and historic districts, to Point Defiance Park with its excellent zoo; from Olympia’s regal capitol to the cheek-by-jowl shops that line its old downtown, right on to the Farmer’s Market.
Set aside a chunk of time for Washington’s south Puget Sound and Volcano Country. You’ll come home positively erupting with knowledge and a new appreciation of Washington State.
Tacoma and Pierce County
Centrally situated in western Washington, Pierce County stretches from south Puget Sound to the lofty summit of Mount Rainier. The area features a wealth of outdoor recreation opportunities, extensive cultural attractions, fascinating history and stunning natural beauty. Tacoma is its major city – and Washington State’s third largest municipality.
Tacoma is easily accessible from Interstate 5 by car and just 18 miles south of the Seattle – Tacoma International Airport. The city provides an ideal base from which to explore Pierce County and south Puget Sound.
North of Tacoma, Fife is known for its easy Interstate 5 access and moderately priced accommodations and restaurants. Visiting families can enjoy the city’s Swim Center with a saltwater pool and the Grand Prix Raceway Indoor Carting Center.
South of Tacoma, Lakewood boasts 10 acre Lakewood Gardens, a formerly private property now regarded as one of the nation’s finest estate gardens. Lakewood is also home to Fort Steilacoom, where the first official U.S. presence in Washington Territory was established in 1849. Nearby American Lake have two parks with many recreational opportunities; American Lake North Park & Marina and Harry Todd Park both offer boat launches and picnicking sites.
Military history buffs will want to visit the Fort Lewis Military Museum, which highlights U.S. Army history in the Northwest from Lewis & Clark to the present. Nearby, McChord Air Museum has a fine exhibit of vintage aircraft and memorabilia and a chance to sit inside an F-106 cockpit simulator. Perched on Puget Sound, historic Steilacoom is the oldest incorporated town in Washington. Steilacoom also gave Washington its first Protestant church, first library, and first jail and is the site of the oldest standing church in the state. The entire town is on the National Register of Historic Places. Don’t miss the nearby Steilacoom Tribal Cultural Museum, showcasing the local tribe’s heritage.
Most people know Puyallup for its popular Western Washington Fair, but the town also boasts the Ezra Meeker Mansion, built in 1890 by pioneer Ezra Meeker. The 17 room Victorian manor has been restored to its original grandeur with hand-stenciled ceiling artwork, elegant woodwork and stained glass.
In spring you’ll see fields of blooming daffodils and other bulbs for which Puyallup is famous. Puyallup celebrates its heritage every April with the daffodil Festival and Grand Floral Parade, one of the nation’s top floral festivals.
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge connects Tacoma to the Kitsap Peninsula and Gig Harbor – a dramatic span built in 1950 to replace the ill-fated “Galloping Gertie” bridge. As you cross one of the longest suspension bridges in the world, take advantage of the grand and stunning views of south Puget Sound.
Perched on the Kitsap Peninsula and a convenient gateway to the Olympic Peninsula, Gig Harbor retains the flavor of a Scandinavian and Croatian fishing village. Now filled with waterfront shops, boutiques, galleries and restaurants as well as fishing boats, Gig Harbor is a charming village and gateway destination. You can stay in a wide range of B & B’s and hotels, dine in excellent restaurants, browse the shops and truly relax.
The peninsula’s varied shoreline is ideal for many outdoor activities including boating, sailing, kayaking, swimming, and beach combing. Scuba divers might meet some of the world’s largest octopi exploring the remains of “Galloping Gertie” that lie at the bottom of the Tacoma Narrows.
There are three state parks near Gig Harbor, Kopachuck, Penrose and Joemma Beach, which provide campers with beach access, hiking and bicycling venues. Also, the Gig Harbor City Park features a children’s playground, cooking facility and creek access.
Towering over Pierce County’s smaller communities in the Nisqually River Valley is “The Mountain” – majestic, 14.411 foot Mount Rainier. It is the focal point of Mount Rainier National Park, which is nearly all within Pierce County’s borders. The park is Pierce County’s major attraction and an absolute paradise to those who love the outdoors, whether you come for active sp orts or simply to enjoy the spectacular alpine scenery.
En route to Mount Rainier, you pass through the little towns of Eatonville, Elbe and Ashford. Don’t miss Northwest Trek Wildlife Park near Eatonville, a 635 acre sanctuary where native animals roam free and a fascinating tram ride features close-up viewing. Also near Eatonville is the Pioneer Farm Museum & Ohop Indian Village, where you can take a “hands on” living history guided tour of an 1880’s homestead, trading post and native dwellings.
Olympia and Thurston County
Thurston County, home to Olympia, Washington’s state capital, celebrates culture, history and recreation every day, all year long. Whether walking through one of the county’s 52 parks, spending an evening at the theatre after an exquisite meal or investigating the rich history of the state capital, this community provides residents and visitors with a wealth of entertaining options. It also provides the opportunity for some delightful afternoon or day trips – offering easy access to the rain forests of the Olympic Peninsula, Pacific Ocean beaches and Mount Rainier.
Olympia, named for its spectacular view of the Olympic Mountains, has been Washington’s state capital since 1853. The city is prized for its quality of life, elegant old homes and three lined streets. Be sure to visit the Legislative Building, standing 28 stories high and the last great domed capital to be built in the United States. Other self-guided tours at the capital include the Justice Building, the Vietnam Memorial, and the World War II Memorial.
Olympia hosts the annual week-long Olympia Film Festival each October providing a variety of theater experiences. Tour the Yashiro Japanese Garden and Watershed Park, both stunning in-city respites. There’s a 1.5 mile boardwalk with artwork and interpretive displays at Percival Landing on the Olympia waterfront that’s delight to tour, and bring your appetite to the Olympia Farmers Market on the city’s waterfront and historic Budd Inlet. Family fun is always available at the Hands on Children’s Museum with interactive experiences for children of all ages.
Tumwater – Chinook word meaning “falling water” – has a very nice historic district featuring the Schmidt House, the falls of the Deschutes River and Tumwater Falls Park. Tumwater Historical Park is perfect for picnicking or walking along trails beside the Deschutes River.
Incorporate Lacey’s 400 acres of wooded parkland with three freshwater lakes into your vacation plans. Also, be sure to visit the 3.700 acre Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, established for the protection of migrating birds.
Wolf Haven International in Tenino provides sanctuary for captive-born wolves. There, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive, education about wolves in the wild and the ongoing efforts to restore their increasingly dwindling numbers. Priest Point Park offers a three mile nature trail, picnic areas, play areas and breathtaking views of the Olympic Mountains.
Like any capital city in the nation, this community has a wealth of cultural and historic sights. Combined with the abundance of natural resources and direct access to mountains or seashores, Thurston County is ideally located to get a full taste of the best Washington has to offer.
Lewis County – Naturally spectacular
In a state renowned for its parks and wilderness areas, southwest Washington’s Lewis County boasts some of the best and most varied outdoor opportunities for camping, fishing, hiking, and family fun. Terrain ranging from gently rolling prairies and river valleys in the west, to the rugged Cascade Mountains in the east, provides the perfect setting for every imaginable outdoor sport or activity.
The cities of Centralia and Chehalis, nestled along Interstate 5 midway between Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon, combine the best of the region’s history with small-town charm. Downtown Centralia boasts sixteen murals portraying the history of the area and nearly 125 historic buildings in the process of restoration.
While in Centralia, visit Fort Borst Park, the Joseph Borst Home and Blockhouse, and the newly restored 1912 Railroad Depot, now offering daily Amtrak service. If shopping is your favorite pastime, be sure to head to the regional factory outlet center or unique antique shopping districts.
Downtown Chehalis and two of its residential districts are on the National Register of Historic Places. The Lewis County Historical Museum, housed in the original turn-of-the-century train depot, features displays of an old-time parlor, kitchen, schoolhouse, and early 20th century logging equipment.
A fabulous way to experience the beauty of the area is aboard a vintage steam train that runs on weekends during summer months. This relaxing, nostalgic 12 mile round-trip chugs through the peaceful Chehalis River Valley.
There are a variety of accommodation selections from historic bed and breakfasts to clean and welcoming hotels. Camping and RV facilities are conveniently located throughout the area.
The word “majesty” has varying interpretations and the collection of mountains within sight of Lewis County is certainly worthy of the title. The Tri-Mountain area, including the snow-capped peaks of Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams, presents spectacular scenery and is renowned for recreational adventure. You can golf, fish, hike, bird watch, or accelerate the adrenaline with white-water rafting, hang gliding or mountain climbing. Downhill skiers flock to White Pass, a 6.000 foot summit, and brag about the short lines and economical prices.
A road trip along the White Pass Scenic Byway on Highway 12 will lead to beautiful mountain country with plenty of fun stops along the way.
Morton, the hub of East Lewis County, is the crossroads for those traveling from the south to the Paradise entrance of Mount Rainier or those from the north to Mount St. Helens. This community boasts the East Lewis County Historical Museum, filled with antique logging and mining equipment. In addition to the museum, Gust Backstrom Park, located on the banks of the Tilton River offers fishing nearly year-round and 13 acres of RV camping and a new community center. In winter, kayakers travel the Tilton to Lake Mayfield through the Bear Canyon Gorge. Morton is at the end of a historic railroad line with a newly restored Railroad Depot. With friendly accommodations and home cooked food, Morton is well worth the visit.
Nearby Randle is a gateway to the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. This drive brings you within four miles of the gaping crater and provides great views of Spirit Lake at the Windy Ridge Viewpoint. You’ll be awestruck by the sight of thousands of blasted trees and inspired by the wonder of nature’s restoration process.
Further east on Highway 12, at the foot of the Cascade and Tatoosh Ranges, is the town of Packwood. Just twenty miles west of the White Pass Ski Area, Packwood is dramatically accented with the Cowlitz River and wonderful steelhead salmon fishing. Other casting opportunities can be found in Skate Creek, a small tributary that merges with the Cowlitz through a scenic gorge. The gentle pace of life can be experienced on horseback, mountain bike, and kayak or on foot.
Mushrooms abound in the forest, and pickers come from all over the world for the many exotic varieties to be found here. The luscious tang of huckleberries and wild mountain blackberries lure berry pickers into the wilderness. If you want to stay, Packwood has a friendly selection of motels, restaurants and shops for a peaceful, remote getaway.
The southeast entrance to Mount Rainier National Park is just outside Packwood in Ohanapecosh, where you can stand amidst the Grove of the Patriarchs with its 1.000 year old red cedar and Douglas-fir trees.
Two popular visitor centers off Highway 123, Paradise and Sunrise provide great bases for Mount Rainier exploration. Sunrise is less populated if you want to avoid the crowds and typically opens a little earlier due to its location on the drier side of the mountain. Come summer, hike the trails, and when the air begins to chill, take advantage of the snow parks and cross-country skiing, snow shoeing and snowmobiling trails.
If you value the peace that a fishing pole and a few hours of solitude bring, go to Riffe Lake, a 12.000 acre reservoir on the Cowlitz River with cutthroat, Coho and kokanee salmon and the ever popular largemouth bass. A few minutes away, Mayfield Lake is open year round and full of fighting tiger muskiest and rainbow trout.
Campers will want to take advantage of the numerous parks within Lewis County. The Lewis and Clark State Park, home to the nation’s last remaining old-growth lowland forest, is located on the historic Jackson Highway near Interstate 5.
When your travels lead you back to Interstate 5, be sure to swing through hometown America at its best in the communities of Toledo, Winlock and Vader. From ghost towns to the World’s Largest Egg, these quaint towns in South Lewis County offer many hidden treasures. On the way to neighboring Mount St. Helens, explore historic St. Francis Mission where founding fathers first celebrated services in 1838. Gravesites of these early settlers are located in the pioneer cemetery on these grounds.
You can head in any direction in Lewis County, with any agenda, whether it’s shopping, sporting, or simply sightseeing, and return home content and enriched.
Cowlitz County
Cowlitz County probably qualifies more as “Volcano Country” than anywhere else in the continental United States. On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens changed this landscape irrevocably with a major eruption and the largest recorded landslide in our country’s history. The opportunity to witness the devastation and the ensuing natural restoration is just too tantalizing to miss. But the mountain is certainly not the only draw here. Cowlitz County has an extraordinary collection of welcoming cities and towns, plenty of recreational venues, and an abundance of places to explore and enjoy.
Castle Rock, located at the Interstate 5 / Highway 504 interchange, is known as the “Gateway to Mount St. Helens”. Just five miles east of the town, you’ll find the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center, with outstanding interpretive exhibits of the mountain’s history and monumental eruption. Be sure to take a walk on the one-mile Silver Lake Wetlands Trail to discover how the lake was formed by a previous eruption, and then go boating or bass fishing.
There are several other visitor centers in the Toutle River Valley that provide a broad reach of educational and interactive experiences. The Johnston Ridge Observatory, built like a military bunker, is just six miles from the mountain and has a wide-screen theater and interpretive exhibits. The Hoffstad Bluffs Visitor Center is a lodge-style building with great views of the mountain, Memorial Grove, and full-service dining.
The waterways in the Toutle River Valley offer great fishing; pack your gear and meander the Cowlitz, Toutle and Green Rivers for steelhead and salmon fishing, or cast for trout and enjoy non-motorized boating at Coldwater Lake.
Kelso, located at the confluence of the Cowlitz, Coweeman and Columbia Rivers, is the Cowlitz county seat and hosts a Volcano Information Center. The Cowlitz County Museum showcases the cultural heritage of the people of the Lower Columbia region and includes an 1884 log cabin and Indian artifacts. Each September, the city celebrates its Scottish heritage with the annual Highlander Festival, and the Sunday Bridge Market, open from July through October, is the perfect spot to purchase fresh produce and local crafts.
Kelso’s next door neighbor is Longview, the only planned city of its magnitude in the state, built entirely with private funds with designated areas for business, industrial, and residential areas. You can learn more about this distinctive city at The Merk – The Planned City Historical Display. In downtown Longview, enjoy the shopping and be sure to include a stroll beside lovely Lake Sacajewea.
Founded in 1840, Kalama has a distinctive 140 foot single-tree totem pole in the town’s Marine Park. Kalama is also a popular destination spot for antique browsers; there are eight antique malls here awaiting your perusal. Fishing is another popular pastime. Catch trophy bass at Kress Lake or try your luck at hooking the trout and salmon that flourish beneath the surface of the Kalama and Columbia Rivers.
The Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens in nearby Woodland is a “must visit”. A national historic site, these gardens are representative of the Victorian era with rare and unusual trees and shrubs and over three acres of lilacs. Each spring during the popular Lilac Festival, the original 1889 Klager home is open for tours and features displays of quilts, artworks, antiques and collectibles. Gets fresh ground wheat at the fully restored Cedar Creek Grist Mill, one of the oldest surviving waterwheel wheat grinding mills in the United States. On the way to the mill, you’ll want to pass through and photograph the unique covered bridge.
If you’re traveling north on Interstate 5 into Cowlitz County, the Lewis River Highway provides another good approach to the southern flanks of Mount St. Helens. Winding along the Lewis River Valley through tiny communities like Ariel, Yale and Cougar, this area is a hotbed of year-round recreation. There are trails that explore ancient lava remains at the Trail of two Forests, Ape Cave and Lava Canyon, with hiking, mountain biking or horseback riding. Cougar is the nearest community to Mount St. Helens and a good home base if you plan a hike to the summit. Come winter, fill crisp days with cross-country skiing, snowshoe, or hop aboard a snowmobile on the valley’s winter recreation trails. Every Thanksgiving weekend, Ariel holds a unique event that commemorates the exploits of the world’s first skyjacker, D. B. Cooper.
Cowlitz County’s signature attraction of Mount St. Helens is reason alone to visit here, so spend a day or two touring this spectacular site, then take advantage of the outdoor charms of the entire region.
Vancouver and Clark County
When Lewis and Clark arrived in what is now Clark County, they were amazed at the abundance of food, wildlife and friendliness of the native people. That welcoming tradition and hearty bounty continues to this day and William Clark would be proud to know that the area now bears his name.
Nestled against the Cascade Mountains on the shores of the Columbia River just a bridge crossing away from downtown Portland, Clark County offers a unique blend of interactive nature and urban comforts.
The metropolitan center of Clark County is Vancouver, the state’s oldest and fourth largest city. Bustling and vibrant today, historically Vancouver and Clark County have played a major role in the development and settlement of the Pacific Northwest. Indians have lived here for thousand of years and established early trade routes to share goods obtained from the rich yield of the land, river and sea. They were the first, but certainly not the last, to appreciate and benefit from the bountiful harvest the natural resources here provide.
This region was initially established as the final destination for the Oregon Trail and United States history is evident throughout the local communities, most prominently, the National Historic Reserve in Vancouver. The Reserve encompasses many attractions, including Fort Vancouver, Officer’s Row and Pearson Air Museum. The museum is located on historic Pearson Field, the oldest continuously active airfield in the United States. This is the first step in a three phase project to recreate a pre-WWII Army Air Corps Field that existed at Pearson Field in the 1920s and 1930s. Explore the aviation milestones that have taken place on site with interactive exhibits and displays focused on the pioneering days of aviation in the Northwest.
Fort Vancouver is a highlight of any visit to this city. In the early 1800s this fort was established as a trading outpost for the Hudson’s Bay Company. The site, selected for its central location no major tributaries and natural resources, became the center of political and commercial activities in the Northwest. The site now features nine major buildings that have been reconstructed and furnished to replicate the original fort, with tours and reenactments offered daily. Officers Row, which has been converted to residential and office space, served as housing for officers and their families stationed at the Vancouver Barracks for more than 100 years.
If the family needs an in-city recreation break, venture to the Chelsea Anderson Memorial Play Station where kids can run across bridges, climb or slide down poles, pretend to drive a fire truck and much more. Or, if splashing around in an Olympic-sized swimming pool sounds appealing, try the Marshal Community Center.
A fun side-trip from the Vancouver area is The Pomeroy House and Living History Farm located in Yacolt, just north of Battle Ground. Here, 1920s agrarian life in southwest Washington State is featured on weekends from June through September. Volunteers dress in period costume and provide hands-on experiences for visitors. There’s family log home, working blacksmith shop, barn, herb and vegetable gardens. The Farm also hosts two annual festivals.
The Herb Festival, which draws 2.000 to 3.000 visitors from all the western states and Canada, is held the third weekend in May. It features over 12.000 herb plants for sale, vendors, a Farm Café, and entertainment. The first weekend of October the Farm hosts the Pumpkin Festival, with hayrides, scarecrow making, pumpkin painting, animal petting and a children’s maze.
Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, Clark County is a natural playground for water sports with year-round boating, swimming and windsurfing. If you’re seeking some more intense thrills, try rafting on the local rivers. Some say it’s the perfect way to see the surrounding countryside. Other popular methods of exploration include driving or riding a bike along the back roads, paths, and trails that reveal the community’s unique charm and history.
Whether you claim the title of golfer, hiker, bird watcher, fisher or nature enthusiast, Clark County has a venue to accommodate your favored activity. With Vancouver guaranteeing entertainment and plenty of lodging options from quaint bed and breakfast inns and magnificent rustic lodges to recognized brand hotels, Clark County’s welcome remains as steadfast and friendly today as it was when Lewis and Clark first ventured here.
The land to the east was blanketed in ash. Giant timbers where flung like toothpicks. The great, gaping crater looked like the surface of the moon. But as devastating as it was, the blast left behind a renewed awareness of the power of nature, geologic time, and an educational legacy that has given school children a first hand understanding of volcanology.
The best and most comprehensive look at volcano country is to be found, of course, at the visitor areas and interpretive centers of Mount St. Helens Volcanic National Monument a day gives you a solid, glimpse; several days or a week will solidify the education like cooled lava.
Skamania, Cowlitz and Lewis Counties share the reigning star of Washington’s volcano heritage, but the experience is hardly complete with a visit to Mount St. Helens alone. Mount Rainier has lessons to teach, as does the Columbia Gorge from Clark County east. The palisades and basalt outcroppings along the gorge are ancient proof of the regions fiery past. Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center and Big Lava Bed in Skamania County offer potent insight into the lives of volcanoes, as do the scenic wonders of Klickitat County from White Salmon east to Maryhill Museum. And once on that stretch of the gorge, the replica of Stonehenge, as out of place as it may seem, is a quirky reminder of man’s long standing worship of nature.
Any of these areas can be reached in a day-long, but fascinating roundtrip from Tacoma or Olympia. Both are excellent places to headquarter. Both are great discoveries on their own, from Tacoma’s booming waterfront and historic districts, to Point Defiance Park with its excellent zoo; from Olympia’s regal capitol to the cheek-by-jowl shops that line its old downtown, right on to the Farmer’s Market.
Set aside a chunk of time for Washington’s south Puget Sound and Volcano Country. You’ll come home positively erupting with knowledge and a new appreciation of Washington State.
Tacoma and Pierce County
Centrally situated in western Washington, Pierce County stretches from south Puget Sound to the lofty summit of Mount Rainier. The area features a wealth of outdoor recreation opportunities, extensive cultural attractions, fascinating history and stunning natural beauty. Tacoma is its major city – and Washington State’s third largest municipality.
Tacoma is easily accessible from Interstate 5 by car and just 18 miles south of the Seattle – Tacoma International Airport. The city provides an ideal base from which to explore Pierce County and south Puget Sound.
North of Tacoma, Fife is known for its easy Interstate 5 access and moderately priced accommodations and restaurants. Visiting families can enjoy the city’s Swim Center with a saltwater pool and the Grand Prix Raceway Indoor Carting Center.
South of Tacoma, Lakewood boasts 10 acre Lakewood Gardens, a formerly private property now regarded as one of the nation’s finest estate gardens. Lakewood is also home to Fort Steilacoom, where the first official U.S. presence in Washington Territory was established in 1849. Nearby American Lake have two parks with many recreational opportunities; American Lake North Park & Marina and Harry Todd Park both offer boat launches and picnicking sites.
Military history buffs will want to visit the Fort Lewis Military Museum, which highlights U.S. Army history in the Northwest from Lewis & Clark to the present. Nearby, McChord Air Museum has a fine exhibit of vintage aircraft and memorabilia and a chance to sit inside an F-106 cockpit simulator. Perched on Puget Sound, historic Steilacoom is the oldest incorporated town in Washington. Steilacoom also gave Washington its first Protestant church, first library, and first jail and is the site of the oldest standing church in the state. The entire town is on the National Register of Historic Places. Don’t miss the nearby Steilacoom Tribal Cultural Museum, showcasing the local tribe’s heritage.
Most people know Puyallup for its popular Western Washington Fair, but the town also boasts the Ezra Meeker Mansion, built in 1890 by pioneer Ezra Meeker. The 17 room Victorian manor has been restored to its original grandeur with hand-stenciled ceiling artwork, elegant woodwork and stained glass.
In spring you’ll see fields of blooming daffodils and other bulbs for which Puyallup is famous. Puyallup celebrates its heritage every April with the daffodil Festival and Grand Floral Parade, one of the nation’s top floral festivals.
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge connects Tacoma to the Kitsap Peninsula and Gig Harbor – a dramatic span built in 1950 to replace the ill-fated “Galloping Gertie” bridge. As you cross one of the longest suspension bridges in the world, take advantage of the grand and stunning views of south Puget Sound.
Perched on the Kitsap Peninsula and a convenient gateway to the Olympic Peninsula, Gig Harbor retains the flavor of a Scandinavian and Croatian fishing village. Now filled with waterfront shops, boutiques, galleries and restaurants as well as fishing boats, Gig Harbor is a charming village and gateway destination. You can stay in a wide range of B & B’s and hotels, dine in excellent restaurants, browse the shops and truly relax.
The peninsula’s varied shoreline is ideal for many outdoor activities including boating, sailing, kayaking, swimming, and beach combing. Scuba divers might meet some of the world’s largest octopi exploring the remains of “Galloping Gertie” that lie at the bottom of the Tacoma Narrows.
There are three state parks near Gig Harbor, Kopachuck, Penrose and Joemma Beach, which provide campers with beach access, hiking and bicycling venues. Also, the Gig Harbor City Park features a children’s playground, cooking facility and creek access.
Towering over Pierce County’s smaller communities in the Nisqually River Valley is “The Mountain” – majestic, 14.411 foot Mount Rainier. It is the focal point of Mount Rainier National Park, which is nearly all within Pierce County’s borders. The park is Pierce County’s major attraction and an absolute paradise to those who love the outdoors, whether you come for active sp orts or simply to enjoy the spectacular alpine scenery.
En route to Mount Rainier, you pass through the little towns of Eatonville, Elbe and Ashford. Don’t miss Northwest Trek Wildlife Park near Eatonville, a 635 acre sanctuary where native animals roam free and a fascinating tram ride features close-up viewing. Also near Eatonville is the Pioneer Farm Museum & Ohop Indian Village, where you can take a “hands on” living history guided tour of an 1880’s homestead, trading post and native dwellings.
Olympia and Thurston County
Thurston County, home to Olympia, Washington’s state capital, celebrates culture, history and recreation every day, all year long. Whether walking through one of the county’s 52 parks, spending an evening at the theatre after an exquisite meal or investigating the rich history of the state capital, this community provides residents and visitors with a wealth of entertaining options. It also provides the opportunity for some delightful afternoon or day trips – offering easy access to the rain forests of the Olympic Peninsula, Pacific Ocean beaches and Mount Rainier.
Olympia, named for its spectacular view of the Olympic Mountains, has been Washington’s state capital since 1853. The city is prized for its quality of life, elegant old homes and three lined streets. Be sure to visit the Legislative Building, standing 28 stories high and the last great domed capital to be built in the United States. Other self-guided tours at the capital include the Justice Building, the Vietnam Memorial, and the World War II Memorial.
Olympia hosts the annual week-long Olympia Film Festival each October providing a variety of theater experiences. Tour the Yashiro Japanese Garden and Watershed Park, both stunning in-city respites. There’s a 1.5 mile boardwalk with artwork and interpretive displays at Percival Landing on the Olympia waterfront that’s delight to tour, and bring your appetite to the Olympia Farmers Market on the city’s waterfront and historic Budd Inlet. Family fun is always available at the Hands on Children’s Museum with interactive experiences for children of all ages.
Tumwater – Chinook word meaning “falling water” – has a very nice historic district featuring the Schmidt House, the falls of the Deschutes River and Tumwater Falls Park. Tumwater Historical Park is perfect for picnicking or walking along trails beside the Deschutes River.
Incorporate Lacey’s 400 acres of wooded parkland with three freshwater lakes into your vacation plans. Also, be sure to visit the 3.700 acre Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, established for the protection of migrating birds.
Wolf Haven International in Tenino provides sanctuary for captive-born wolves. There, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive, education about wolves in the wild and the ongoing efforts to restore their increasingly dwindling numbers. Priest Point Park offers a three mile nature trail, picnic areas, play areas and breathtaking views of the Olympic Mountains.
Like any capital city in the nation, this community has a wealth of cultural and historic sights. Combined with the abundance of natural resources and direct access to mountains or seashores, Thurston County is ideally located to get a full taste of the best Washington has to offer.
Lewis County – Naturally spectacular
In a state renowned for its parks and wilderness areas, southwest Washington’s Lewis County boasts some of the best and most varied outdoor opportunities for camping, fishing, hiking, and family fun. Terrain ranging from gently rolling prairies and river valleys in the west, to the rugged Cascade Mountains in the east, provides the perfect setting for every imaginable outdoor sport or activity.
The cities of Centralia and Chehalis, nestled along Interstate 5 midway between Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon, combine the best of the region’s history with small-town charm. Downtown Centralia boasts sixteen murals portraying the history of the area and nearly 125 historic buildings in the process of restoration.
While in Centralia, visit Fort Borst Park, the Joseph Borst Home and Blockhouse, and the newly restored 1912 Railroad Depot, now offering daily Amtrak service. If shopping is your favorite pastime, be sure to head to the regional factory outlet center or unique antique shopping districts.
Downtown Chehalis and two of its residential districts are on the National Register of Historic Places. The Lewis County Historical Museum, housed in the original turn-of-the-century train depot, features displays of an old-time parlor, kitchen, schoolhouse, and early 20th century logging equipment.
A fabulous way to experience the beauty of the area is aboard a vintage steam train that runs on weekends during summer months. This relaxing, nostalgic 12 mile round-trip chugs through the peaceful Chehalis River Valley.
There are a variety of accommodation selections from historic bed and breakfasts to clean and welcoming hotels. Camping and RV facilities are conveniently located throughout the area.
The word “majesty” has varying interpretations and the collection of mountains within sight of Lewis County is certainly worthy of the title. The Tri-Mountain area, including the snow-capped peaks of Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams, presents spectacular scenery and is renowned for recreational adventure. You can golf, fish, hike, bird watch, or accelerate the adrenaline with white-water rafting, hang gliding or mountain climbing. Downhill skiers flock to White Pass, a 6.000 foot summit, and brag about the short lines and economical prices.
A road trip along the White Pass Scenic Byway on Highway 12 will lead to beautiful mountain country with plenty of fun stops along the way.
Morton, the hub of East Lewis County, is the crossroads for those traveling from the south to the Paradise entrance of Mount Rainier or those from the north to Mount St. Helens. This community boasts the East Lewis County Historical Museum, filled with antique logging and mining equipment. In addition to the museum, Gust Backstrom Park, located on the banks of the Tilton River offers fishing nearly year-round and 13 acres of RV camping and a new community center. In winter, kayakers travel the Tilton to Lake Mayfield through the Bear Canyon Gorge. Morton is at the end of a historic railroad line with a newly restored Railroad Depot. With friendly accommodations and home cooked food, Morton is well worth the visit.
Nearby Randle is a gateway to the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. This drive brings you within four miles of the gaping crater and provides great views of Spirit Lake at the Windy Ridge Viewpoint. You’ll be awestruck by the sight of thousands of blasted trees and inspired by the wonder of nature’s restoration process.
Further east on Highway 12, at the foot of the Cascade and Tatoosh Ranges, is the town of Packwood. Just twenty miles west of the White Pass Ski Area, Packwood is dramatically accented with the Cowlitz River and wonderful steelhead salmon fishing. Other casting opportunities can be found in Skate Creek, a small tributary that merges with the Cowlitz through a scenic gorge. The gentle pace of life can be experienced on horseback, mountain bike, and kayak or on foot.
Mushrooms abound in the forest, and pickers come from all over the world for the many exotic varieties to be found here. The luscious tang of huckleberries and wild mountain blackberries lure berry pickers into the wilderness. If you want to stay, Packwood has a friendly selection of motels, restaurants and shops for a peaceful, remote getaway.
The southeast entrance to Mount Rainier National Park is just outside Packwood in Ohanapecosh, where you can stand amidst the Grove of the Patriarchs with its 1.000 year old red cedar and Douglas-fir trees.
Two popular visitor centers off Highway 123, Paradise and Sunrise provide great bases for Mount Rainier exploration. Sunrise is less populated if you want to avoid the crowds and typically opens a little earlier due to its location on the drier side of the mountain. Come summer, hike the trails, and when the air begins to chill, take advantage of the snow parks and cross-country skiing, snow shoeing and snowmobiling trails.
If you value the peace that a fishing pole and a few hours of solitude bring, go to Riffe Lake, a 12.000 acre reservoir on the Cowlitz River with cutthroat, Coho and kokanee salmon and the ever popular largemouth bass. A few minutes away, Mayfield Lake is open year round and full of fighting tiger muskiest and rainbow trout.
Campers will want to take advantage of the numerous parks within Lewis County. The Lewis and Clark State Park, home to the nation’s last remaining old-growth lowland forest, is located on the historic Jackson Highway near Interstate 5.
When your travels lead you back to Interstate 5, be sure to swing through hometown America at its best in the communities of Toledo, Winlock and Vader. From ghost towns to the World’s Largest Egg, these quaint towns in South Lewis County offer many hidden treasures. On the way to neighboring Mount St. Helens, explore historic St. Francis Mission where founding fathers first celebrated services in 1838. Gravesites of these early settlers are located in the pioneer cemetery on these grounds.
You can head in any direction in Lewis County, with any agenda, whether it’s shopping, sporting, or simply sightseeing, and return home content and enriched.
Cowlitz County
Cowlitz County probably qualifies more as “Volcano Country” than anywhere else in the continental United States. On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens changed this landscape irrevocably with a major eruption and the largest recorded landslide in our country’s history. The opportunity to witness the devastation and the ensuing natural restoration is just too tantalizing to miss. But the mountain is certainly not the only draw here. Cowlitz County has an extraordinary collection of welcoming cities and towns, plenty of recreational venues, and an abundance of places to explore and enjoy.
Castle Rock, located at the Interstate 5 / Highway 504 interchange, is known as the “Gateway to Mount St. Helens”. Just five miles east of the town, you’ll find the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center, with outstanding interpretive exhibits of the mountain’s history and monumental eruption. Be sure to take a walk on the one-mile Silver Lake Wetlands Trail to discover how the lake was formed by a previous eruption, and then go boating or bass fishing.
There are several other visitor centers in the Toutle River Valley that provide a broad reach of educational and interactive experiences. The Johnston Ridge Observatory, built like a military bunker, is just six miles from the mountain and has a wide-screen theater and interpretive exhibits. The Hoffstad Bluffs Visitor Center is a lodge-style building with great views of the mountain, Memorial Grove, and full-service dining.
The waterways in the Toutle River Valley offer great fishing; pack your gear and meander the Cowlitz, Toutle and Green Rivers for steelhead and salmon fishing, or cast for trout and enjoy non-motorized boating at Coldwater Lake.
Kelso, located at the confluence of the Cowlitz, Coweeman and Columbia Rivers, is the Cowlitz county seat and hosts a Volcano Information Center. The Cowlitz County Museum showcases the cultural heritage of the people of the Lower Columbia region and includes an 1884 log cabin and Indian artifacts. Each September, the city celebrates its Scottish heritage with the annual Highlander Festival, and the Sunday Bridge Market, open from July through October, is the perfect spot to purchase fresh produce and local crafts.
Kelso’s next door neighbor is Longview, the only planned city of its magnitude in the state, built entirely with private funds with designated areas for business, industrial, and residential areas. You can learn more about this distinctive city at The Merk – The Planned City Historical Display. In downtown Longview, enjoy the shopping and be sure to include a stroll beside lovely Lake Sacajewea.
Founded in 1840, Kalama has a distinctive 140 foot single-tree totem pole in the town’s Marine Park. Kalama is also a popular destination spot for antique browsers; there are eight antique malls here awaiting your perusal. Fishing is another popular pastime. Catch trophy bass at Kress Lake or try your luck at hooking the trout and salmon that flourish beneath the surface of the Kalama and Columbia Rivers.
The Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens in nearby Woodland is a “must visit”. A national historic site, these gardens are representative of the Victorian era with rare and unusual trees and shrubs and over three acres of lilacs. Each spring during the popular Lilac Festival, the original 1889 Klager home is open for tours and features displays of quilts, artworks, antiques and collectibles. Gets fresh ground wheat at the fully restored Cedar Creek Grist Mill, one of the oldest surviving waterwheel wheat grinding mills in the United States. On the way to the mill, you’ll want to pass through and photograph the unique covered bridge.
If you’re traveling north on Interstate 5 into Cowlitz County, the Lewis River Highway provides another good approach to the southern flanks of Mount St. Helens. Winding along the Lewis River Valley through tiny communities like Ariel, Yale and Cougar, this area is a hotbed of year-round recreation. There are trails that explore ancient lava remains at the Trail of two Forests, Ape Cave and Lava Canyon, with hiking, mountain biking or horseback riding. Cougar is the nearest community to Mount St. Helens and a good home base if you plan a hike to the summit. Come winter, fill crisp days with cross-country skiing, snowshoe, or hop aboard a snowmobile on the valley’s winter recreation trails. Every Thanksgiving weekend, Ariel holds a unique event that commemorates the exploits of the world’s first skyjacker, D. B. Cooper.
Cowlitz County’s signature attraction of Mount St. Helens is reason alone to visit here, so spend a day or two touring this spectacular site, then take advantage of the outdoor charms of the entire region.
Vancouver and Clark County
When Lewis and Clark arrived in what is now Clark County, they were amazed at the abundance of food, wildlife and friendliness of the native people. That welcoming tradition and hearty bounty continues to this day and William Clark would be proud to know that the area now bears his name.
Nestled against the Cascade Mountains on the shores of the Columbia River just a bridge crossing away from downtown Portland, Clark County offers a unique blend of interactive nature and urban comforts.
The metropolitan center of Clark County is Vancouver, the state’s oldest and fourth largest city. Bustling and vibrant today, historically Vancouver and Clark County have played a major role in the development and settlement of the Pacific Northwest. Indians have lived here for thousand of years and established early trade routes to share goods obtained from the rich yield of the land, river and sea. They were the first, but certainly not the last, to appreciate and benefit from the bountiful harvest the natural resources here provide.
This region was initially established as the final destination for the Oregon Trail and United States history is evident throughout the local communities, most prominently, the National Historic Reserve in Vancouver. The Reserve encompasses many attractions, including Fort Vancouver, Officer’s Row and Pearson Air Museum. The museum is located on historic Pearson Field, the oldest continuously active airfield in the United States. This is the first step in a three phase project to recreate a pre-WWII Army Air Corps Field that existed at Pearson Field in the 1920s and 1930s. Explore the aviation milestones that have taken place on site with interactive exhibits and displays focused on the pioneering days of aviation in the Northwest.
Fort Vancouver is a highlight of any visit to this city. In the early 1800s this fort was established as a trading outpost for the Hudson’s Bay Company. The site, selected for its central location no major tributaries and natural resources, became the center of political and commercial activities in the Northwest. The site now features nine major buildings that have been reconstructed and furnished to replicate the original fort, with tours and reenactments offered daily. Officers Row, which has been converted to residential and office space, served as housing for officers and their families stationed at the Vancouver Barracks for more than 100 years.
If the family needs an in-city recreation break, venture to the Chelsea Anderson Memorial Play Station where kids can run across bridges, climb or slide down poles, pretend to drive a fire truck and much more. Or, if splashing around in an Olympic-sized swimming pool sounds appealing, try the Marshal Community Center.
A fun side-trip from the Vancouver area is The Pomeroy House and Living History Farm located in Yacolt, just north of Battle Ground. Here, 1920s agrarian life in southwest Washington State is featured on weekends from June through September. Volunteers dress in period costume and provide hands-on experiences for visitors. There’s family log home, working blacksmith shop, barn, herb and vegetable gardens. The Farm also hosts two annual festivals.
The Herb Festival, which draws 2.000 to 3.000 visitors from all the western states and Canada, is held the third weekend in May. It features over 12.000 herb plants for sale, vendors, a Farm Café, and entertainment. The first weekend of October the Farm hosts the Pumpkin Festival, with hayrides, scarecrow making, pumpkin painting, animal petting and a children’s maze.
Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, Clark County is a natural playground for water sports with year-round boating, swimming and windsurfing. If you’re seeking some more intense thrills, try rafting on the local rivers. Some say it’s the perfect way to see the surrounding countryside. Other popular methods of exploration include driving or riding a bike along the back roads, paths, and trails that reveal the community’s unique charm and history.
Whether you claim the title of golfer, hiker, bird watcher, fisher or nature enthusiast, Clark County has a venue to accommodate your favored activity. With Vancouver guaranteeing entertainment and plenty of lodging options from quaint bed and breakfast inns and magnificent rustic lodges to recognized brand hotels, Clark County’s welcome remains as steadfast and friendly today as it was when Lewis and Clark first ventured here.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Seattle / King County
To understand Seattle and its greater metropolitan area, you must first consider two things: the city’s position on the globe and its position in the 21st century. Seattle is the biggest city west of Chicago, north of San Francisco, east of Tokyo and south of the North Pole. And commanding that position on a shrinking planet, it has become an international center for commerce, industry, and trade in the new millennium.
The Seattle Experience
As a tourist destination people from all over the country and around the world flock to soak up the city’s antiquated charms, regional differences, and commercial bravado. A century and a half ago, Seattle was a hopeful little settlement clinging to the shores of Elliott Bay. A benevolent but wet climate, ample natural resources, and the kindness of the Duwamish and Suquamish people and their inspired leader, Chief Sealth, allowed the village to flourish. Seattle was named for Chief Sealth and his image can be found all over the city. Today the metropolitan area is 3.5 million strong, and includes the robust communities of Bellevue and Kirkland, Bothell, Redmond, Mercer Island, Renton, Kent, Auburn, Federal Way and the dozens of residential enclaves in between.
There is more to do here than anyone has time for: museums, live theaters, a world-class ballet, symphony, zoo, restaurants, shopping, nightlife, glamorous places to stay, and fascinating streets to walk. Then there are the neighborhoods, one after another, each with its own distinctive character from funky Fremont with its delightful hodgepodge of shops and eateries, to chic Madison Park and Queen Anne, on to “wish-it” Capitol Hill and bustling Little Saigon.
But to discover Seattle you must begin with the clichés. A good place to begin your exploration is atop the watchful eye of the Space Needle at the Seattle center. This Seattle icon is hard to miss, and you must take the 41-second elevator ride to the top for the 360-degree view of the lakes, mountains, salt water and sparkling city below. Expand your viewing time with a leisurely meal at the world’s first revolving restaurant.
Below the Space Needle is the magical and stimulating Pacific Science Center. There are five buildings that comprise the complex, creating a masterpiece of childhood delight with their hands-on exhibits.
Nearby, the unusual building with the funny colors and mismatched exterior walls is the Experience Music Project. Designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, this interactive music museum was created by Paul Allen to provide an ongoing exploration of musical diversity from the past, present and future.
the easiest and most unique way to travel between the sighs and sounds of the Seattle Center and downtown Seattle is to hop aboard the Monorail, a remnant of the 1962 Seattle World’s fair. Ride to the Pike Place Market, where you may have to dodge a 40-pound mackerel being tossed through the air by one of the infamous fishmongers. Enjoy a latte’ at the first Starbucks.
Head west to the waterfront and the Seattle Aquarium at Pier 59. This collection of underwater exhibits is a perfect family outing. Next to the aquarium, the IMAX Dome Theater surrounds viewers in scenes like the eruption of Mount St. Helens or dolphins at play. Stroll along the waterfront of fresh fish and chips.
A unique way to enjoy Seattle is from the waters of Puget Sound. Local cruises can take you through Lake Union and Lake Washington, the interesting Ballard Locks or to some of the area’s marinas and harbors. A boat tour to Tillicum Village is an opportunity to witness traditional dances and legends in a northwest coast Indian longhouse. Located on Blake Island, just eight miles from the waterfront, this is a memorable four-hour excursion competes with a fabulous alder-baked salmon feast.
If Victoria, B.C. is on your itinerary, the Victoria Clipper’s popular day or overnight trip can provide a perfect mode of transportation. The Clipper only takes two hours to get to Victoria, leaving plenty of time for immersing yourself in that city’s charms.
Explore historic Pioneer Square
If you head south from the waterfront, be sure to walk up First Avenue to Pioneer Square. This former home of legendary pioneers like Doc Maynard now features a variety of bookstores, art galleries, restaurants, live jazz and blues. On a clear summer night, listen for the roar of the crowd at Safeco Field as Ichiro gets yet another record setting clutch base hit.
Be sure to budget time to take the Underground Tour, a humorous overview of the ancient plumbing conundrums and old-time politics that affected the city’s future, the tour begins in a restored 1890s public house.
In Seattle, the cultural offerings are as interesting and varied as the landscape. The Seattle Art Museum, better known as SAM, is perfectly placed downtown and has a collection of more than 21.000 objects from all over the world. For a slightly more technical fare, you can easily spend half a day at either The Museum of History and Industry or the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field.
Seattle’s 92-acre Woodland Park Zoo is noted for its cutting edge exhibits, expansive horticultural collection and summer performing arts series. Don’t miss the baby elephant at this award-winning zoo.
Stroll the Washington Park Arboretum and the Japanese Garden. Walk down to the waterfront and take the trolley to the International District and hike back up to Freeway Park. Then drive over to West Seattle for a walk around Alki Point where the first settlers landed and a fabulous photo opportunity of the downtown skyline and waterfront.
Just 30-minutes south of downtown in the beautiful Kent Valley, Emerald Downs, the premier thoroughbred live racing venue in the northwest, runs mid-April through September. After your day at the races, head to Renton for the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train to experience the nostalgia of a by-gone era as you travel in luxurious, vintage rail cars along the shores of Lake Washington to the Columbia Winery.
East King County
Don’t miss Bellevue. A drive across Lake Washington to this city of bold glass towers and impeccably landscaped residences is a telescopic view into the vigor and wealth of this region – a theme that is often repeated from Tukwila to Redmond and on to Woodinville. Head east on Interstate 90 and you’ll come to the picturesque village of Issaquah, a little further and you can visit Snoqualmie Falls. And still to the east is the mountain town of North Bend. Here is the gateway to Mount Si and you can hike up near its 4.167 foot summit for a panoramic view of both civilization and wilderness. And it’s all within King County.
The Puget Sound metropolitan area is a sophisticated, cosmopolitan place these days. But from the industrial pockets and noisy diners of Sodo and the cluttered moorages of Fisherman’s Terminal, to the pastoral byways of Carnation and Duvall, this is a region that has never forgotten where it all began.
The Seattle Experience
As a tourist destination people from all over the country and around the world flock to soak up the city’s antiquated charms, regional differences, and commercial bravado. A century and a half ago, Seattle was a hopeful little settlement clinging to the shores of Elliott Bay. A benevolent but wet climate, ample natural resources, and the kindness of the Duwamish and Suquamish people and their inspired leader, Chief Sealth, allowed the village to flourish. Seattle was named for Chief Sealth and his image can be found all over the city. Today the metropolitan area is 3.5 million strong, and includes the robust communities of Bellevue and Kirkland, Bothell, Redmond, Mercer Island, Renton, Kent, Auburn, Federal Way and the dozens of residential enclaves in between.
There is more to do here than anyone has time for: museums, live theaters, a world-class ballet, symphony, zoo, restaurants, shopping, nightlife, glamorous places to stay, and fascinating streets to walk. Then there are the neighborhoods, one after another, each with its own distinctive character from funky Fremont with its delightful hodgepodge of shops and eateries, to chic Madison Park and Queen Anne, on to “wish-it” Capitol Hill and bustling Little Saigon.
But to discover Seattle you must begin with the clichés. A good place to begin your exploration is atop the watchful eye of the Space Needle at the Seattle center. This Seattle icon is hard to miss, and you must take the 41-second elevator ride to the top for the 360-degree view of the lakes, mountains, salt water and sparkling city below. Expand your viewing time with a leisurely meal at the world’s first revolving restaurant.
Below the Space Needle is the magical and stimulating Pacific Science Center. There are five buildings that comprise the complex, creating a masterpiece of childhood delight with their hands-on exhibits.
Nearby, the unusual building with the funny colors and mismatched exterior walls is the Experience Music Project. Designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, this interactive music museum was created by Paul Allen to provide an ongoing exploration of musical diversity from the past, present and future.
the easiest and most unique way to travel between the sighs and sounds of the Seattle Center and downtown Seattle is to hop aboard the Monorail, a remnant of the 1962 Seattle World’s fair. Ride to the Pike Place Market, where you may have to dodge a 40-pound mackerel being tossed through the air by one of the infamous fishmongers. Enjoy a latte’ at the first Starbucks.
Head west to the waterfront and the Seattle Aquarium at Pier 59. This collection of underwater exhibits is a perfect family outing. Next to the aquarium, the IMAX Dome Theater surrounds viewers in scenes like the eruption of Mount St. Helens or dolphins at play. Stroll along the waterfront of fresh fish and chips.
A unique way to enjoy Seattle is from the waters of Puget Sound. Local cruises can take you through Lake Union and Lake Washington, the interesting Ballard Locks or to some of the area’s marinas and harbors. A boat tour to Tillicum Village is an opportunity to witness traditional dances and legends in a northwest coast Indian longhouse. Located on Blake Island, just eight miles from the waterfront, this is a memorable four-hour excursion competes with a fabulous alder-baked salmon feast.
If Victoria, B.C. is on your itinerary, the Victoria Clipper’s popular day or overnight trip can provide a perfect mode of transportation. The Clipper only takes two hours to get to Victoria, leaving plenty of time for immersing yourself in that city’s charms.
Explore historic Pioneer Square
If you head south from the waterfront, be sure to walk up First Avenue to Pioneer Square. This former home of legendary pioneers like Doc Maynard now features a variety of bookstores, art galleries, restaurants, live jazz and blues. On a clear summer night, listen for the roar of the crowd at Safeco Field as Ichiro gets yet another record setting clutch base hit.
Be sure to budget time to take the Underground Tour, a humorous overview of the ancient plumbing conundrums and old-time politics that affected the city’s future, the tour begins in a restored 1890s public house.
In Seattle, the cultural offerings are as interesting and varied as the landscape. The Seattle Art Museum, better known as SAM, is perfectly placed downtown and has a collection of more than 21.000 objects from all over the world. For a slightly more technical fare, you can easily spend half a day at either The Museum of History and Industry or the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field.
Seattle’s 92-acre Woodland Park Zoo is noted for its cutting edge exhibits, expansive horticultural collection and summer performing arts series. Don’t miss the baby elephant at this award-winning zoo.
Stroll the Washington Park Arboretum and the Japanese Garden. Walk down to the waterfront and take the trolley to the International District and hike back up to Freeway Park. Then drive over to West Seattle for a walk around Alki Point where the first settlers landed and a fabulous photo opportunity of the downtown skyline and waterfront.
Just 30-minutes south of downtown in the beautiful Kent Valley, Emerald Downs, the premier thoroughbred live racing venue in the northwest, runs mid-April through September. After your day at the races, head to Renton for the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train to experience the nostalgia of a by-gone era as you travel in luxurious, vintage rail cars along the shores of Lake Washington to the Columbia Winery.
East King County
Don’t miss Bellevue. A drive across Lake Washington to this city of bold glass towers and impeccably landscaped residences is a telescopic view into the vigor and wealth of this region – a theme that is often repeated from Tukwila to Redmond and on to Woodinville. Head east on Interstate 90 and you’ll come to the picturesque village of Issaquah, a little further and you can visit Snoqualmie Falls. And still to the east is the mountain town of North Bend. Here is the gateway to Mount Si and you can hike up near its 4.167 foot summit for a panoramic view of both civilization and wilderness. And it’s all within King County.
The Puget Sound metropolitan area is a sophisticated, cosmopolitan place these days. But from the industrial pockets and noisy diners of Sodo and the cluttered moorages of Fisherman’s Terminal, to the pastoral byways of Carnation and Duvall, this is a region that has never forgotten where it all began.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The North Cascades
Washington’s Cascade Country is often compared to Switzerland. True enough if you are looking at spectacular, glacier-clad peaks. But the comparison also does the area a disservice. Because although the North Cascades can hold their own, if not out-dazzle, any mountain range in the world, what lies on each side of the range can’t be found anywhere but in the American Northwest.
The lowlands flanking the east side of Puget Sound from Everett to Bellingham are filled with immaculate farms and enchanting towns: Marysville, Mount Vernon, La Conner and Sedro-Woolley among them. Any of them are worth exploring for a day; strung together you could spend a week or more. Driving east, to and through any of the mountain passes you’ll see some of the most verdant forests in the world. Waterfalls spill down from sheer basalt walls that line the highways. Ferns and mosses cling to the rocks. Fine maples flaunt their sculptural forms and beautiful foliage, conifers tower, and up in the highest reaches, snow and ancient ice gleam in the sun. If you drop down in the town of Winthrop, you’ll blink your eyes and think you’ve awakened in a cowboy movie. If your descent from the Cascades takes you through the Bavarian town of Leavenworth, you really will think you’re in the Alps. Don’t be surprised if you hear someone in the distance yodeling.
Once over the summit, you’re in another country. Up north, the Okanogan stretches to the east. When the West was created, God must have used the Okanogan as the template. Colonies of pines fill pocket in the slopes where rain is caught. Great sweeps of grasses hug the dry sides. There are big rocks and deep canyons, brilliant blue skies, and air so clean and dry you’ll want to bottle it and take it home.
Further south in Chelan County, Lake Chelan glistens like a silver of lapis lazuli tucked in the folds of velvety green mountains. This long and deep lake is a treasure trove of recreational activities all year around.
And down in Kittitas County, Ellensburg touts the spunk and promise of the late 19th and early 20th century’s n brick and granite, all within the spirit of the old west. This is a ranch country, and if you doubt that, just goes into any roadside restaurant and order breakfast. Once you’ve polished off eggs, sausage, hash browns, and toast, you’ll either swear off food for a week or jump on a horse and ride for a hundred miles.
What this northwest corner of the state offers is, simply, “the real thing”. So round-up your family and head out. It’s one of those places where you could happily spend a week or a lifetime.
Bellingham
Bellingham’s spectacular location, coupled with its rich history and handsome architecture, makes it easy to see why the city is considered one of the jewels of the Pacific Northwest. The city looks out over the Sun Juan Islands, across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and on to the Olympic Mountains. Behind it rise the jagged snowcapped Cascade Range and Mount Baker. For millennia, the Lummi Indians have called the area home. By the early 1850s the towns of Whatcom, Sehome, Bellingham and Fairhaven were settled, to be consolidated into the city of Bellingham in 1904.
With an abundance of natural resources and a spunky, can-do population, the town thrived. Here the first brick building north of San Francisco was built in 1958. It still stands. The majestic City Hall, built in 1892, still towers over downtown, now in its new life as the Whatcom Museum of History and Art. Meander down Holly Street to the waterfront or the historic Eldridge residential district. You’ll immediately sense the easy-going pace with its respect for tradition that has resulted in Bellingham’s well-earned reputation for being one of those idyllic places where people come to have a look and never leave.
Bellingham is just off Interstate 5, about 90 miles north of Seattle, 55 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. It’s an easy detour going between these two metropolises. But don’t cheat yourself. Bellingham is one of those wonderful stops where a traveler can land for a weekend or a week and never exhaust the options for enjoyable and edifying experience or high adventure. The area boasts over a dozen public golf courses, city, county and state parks, campgrounds, comfortable hotels and charming bed and breakfasts that sparkle with bright paint, rustle with starched linens, and smell of cinnamon and fresh baked bread. In short, Bellingham is a destination and, at least for now, it’s somewhat undiscovered by the outside world… and delightfully so.
Start your adventure by heading south from downtown to the historic Fairhaven District. Here at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, the Alaska State Ferry docks, making regular runs up and down the Inside Passage. Fairhaven could easily be called Arthaven. It has an abundance of old masonry buildings filled with shops where skilled artists and craftspeople sell their works. Good restaurants, cozy coffee shops and bookstores all attest to the quality of life in this artsy, intellectual, and heart-warningly down-home enclave.
Up the hill from downtown Bellingham, visit the campus of Western Washington University. Stately buildings, grand landscaping and panoramic views down to the city and out to the water make for a pleasant half day, but what really sets it apart is the collection of monumental outdoor sculptures that embellish the campus.
Short road trips radiate out from Bellingham like spokes from the hub of a wheel. To the south, Chuckanut Drive is a 21 mile loop off I-5 that follows the bluff high above the Strait of Juan de Fuca through lush Northwest forest. Scenic turnouts, hiking and biking trails, restaurants and even oyster farms, where you can buy fresh oyster’s in-season, add-up to make this an all-day outing.
The enchanting town of Lynden, northeast of Bellingham, is home to over 9.000 residents many of whom are descendants of Dutch settlers. Downtown Lynden has a healthy handful of high-quality antique stores and it’s one of the few places this side of Amsterdam where you can enjoy Dutch pancakes for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. With old-world architecture anchored by a windmill at one end of town, and impeccable maintained homes and manicured grounds, Lynden lives up to its promise as a way to discover Holland without a passport.
Further east, the scenic Mount Baker Highway leads to the town of Glacier, past Nooksack Falls, and on to Mount Baker. Even if you don’t want to take advantage of the November through April ski and snowboarding season, the scenic wonders of this magnificent ice cap, nearby Mount Shuksan, and the surrounding Cascades will equal the thrill of speeding down a powdery slope.
Wrap up any day on Bellingham’s new waterfront. Savor the haunting call of seagulls, the smell of salt air, and the sight of boats clustered in the marina, their masts bobbing against an oyster shell sky. From here you can line-up whale watching tours, trips over to Victoria, British Columbia, and out to the San Juan Islands. Kayaking, small boat rentals and charters, scuba diving outings, and fishing expeditions can all be arranged. With a spacious park, elegant new hotels, restaurants, and interesting glimpses of the industrial harbor, this is the spot to watch a northwest afternoon ignite into a fiery sunset and disappear behind the Olympics. It’s all part of the magic of Bellingham.
Snohomish County
Snohomish County’s varied landscape, modern cities, historic settlements, and high-tech tours contribute to a broad-based selection of activities or day trips. Just a few minutes north of Seattle, it’s treasure chest of entertaining places to visit. Choose the technology corridor with its bustling malls, Boeing tour, shopping District, and quaint waterfront communities. Or, you may prefer scenic byways leading to pristine lakes, waterfalls, raging rivers and rugged Cascade Mountains. Whatever your preference, you’ll revel in the scenic beauty and hospitality of this county’s special communities.
North county communities
Maryville is a thriving community situated near the banks of the Snohomish River. Visit Jennings Park, the site of an 1884 hand-hewn cedar home, furnished in typical 1880s farmhouse style. The Tulalip tribe operates a very successful gaming casino here. Just north on I-5, the Smokey Point / Lakewood area, offers parks with a variety of recreational options for water sport enthusiast including fishing, boating and swimming.
A visit to nearby Stanwood is not complete unless you’ve allowed yourself to be enticed by the sights and smells of their popular Scandinavian bakery and lefse factory. This town, originally settled as a trading post, still draws travelers with its specialty shops and restaurants. Be sure to include a stop at tiny Silvana for antiquing and the bustling spring and summer Farmer’s Market.
Back road adventure on Mountain Loop
Arlington is the gateway to the Mountain Loop Highway and site of the widely attended Garlic Festival every August. A walking tour of the town’s vintage buildings and architecture provides a glimpse of the days when Arlington’s streets consisted of dirt and “modern” transportation was limited to river ferries and the railroad.
On Highway 530 is Darrington, once a night camp for the wagon route linking the Monte Cristo mines to the shores of Puget Sound. In Darrington today, you can enjoy the excitement of river rafting and rock climbing or the annual Bluegrass or Wildflower Festivals.
Ghost towns anyone? Visit the remnants of Monte Cristo and be sure to stop at the Ice Caves of Big Four Mountain. These ice formations are stunning to view and photograph from afar. But be careful! The Ice Caves are unstable and extremely unsafe to enter or explore! Return to I-5 through Granite Falls and Lake Stevens.
Lynnwood
Snohomish County’s blend of rural and urban lifestyle is most evident in Lynnwood, the largest retail center in the county. Known far and near as a shopper’s haven, the city’s golf course, an ice skating arena, 250 acres of parks and open spaces strike the perfect balance between the joys of city life and the pleasures of the outdoors. The Interurban Trail, which extends from Lynnwood to Everett, offers 13 miles of paved trail perfect for biking, jogging, rollerblading or taking a casual stroll.
Situated at the I-405 interchange just 15 miles north of downtown Seattle, location is one of the city’s strong selling points. Many visitors with Seattle on their itinerary value the easy access to the city while taking advantage of Lynnwood’s competitive accommodation rates. The area’s free parking is also appreciated, allowing for leisurely and unfettered retail exploration.
After shopping, picnic at one of Lynnwood’s lovely city parks, hit the local 18-hole golf course or enjoy a great meal at one of their numerous area restaurants.
Explore waterfront communities
Snohomish County’s three primary waterfront communities are Everett, Edmonds, and Mukilteo. The latter are sites of Washington state ferry landings and known for their charm and hospitality.
Edmonds has been voted “The Friendliest Town in Puget Sound” nine years running. This charming community is reminiscent of small-town America, providing visitors with a sense of “coming home to a place they’ve never been”.
Edmonds is celebrated for its public art, award-winning flowers and quaint streets that speak, European-style, from a center fountain. This community has a lively arts tradition with a symphony, ballet, theatre, art center and museum. Diners find a menu for every taste and shoppers enjoy Old Milltown, a turn-of-the-century multi-shop complex in a downtown seasoned with edgy designer or romantic and classic travel-wear boutiques. After strolling through town, stop by the Edmonds Underwater ark and watch scuba divers as they emerge from Puget Sound’s underwater vistas.
Mukilteo’s 1906 lighthouse has been restored and is operative today – a picturesque memento of the town’s maritime past. At the Mukilteo Museum-Rosehill Community center you’ll find the 1855 Peace Treaty signed between Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens and Indian leaders representing 22 tribes. Both cities are worthy of an extended day trip, then hop on a ferry and venture into Puget Sound waters.
Downtown Everett
Everett is filled with perfect “day trip” activities, from a visit to a collection of Pilchuck Glass at the Everett Center for the Arts to a stroll along the waterfront. Everett is home to the world’s largest building, the Boeing 747assembly plant at Paine Field, with tours available. Kids of all ages are fascinated by the enormity of this process. Children’s Museum for a hands-on adventure in art, culture, history and science.
Everett has several venues for exploring its varied and expansive shoreline. The Spencer Island Wetlands, 1.900 acres of urban wetlands with native wildlife, is accessible via boat, kayak, canoe, or along the ride from the Everett waterfront to Jetty Island that runs from July 4 through Labor Day. Once there, enjoy beaches, a nature trail and glimpses of native wildlife. There are also charters available for viewing whales, seals, sea lions and aquatic birds.
The Cascade Loop
There may be more spectacular scenic drives elsewhere in the world, but in Washington, the 440-mile Cascade Loop is mile-for-mile, the hands-down winner. For scenery, for recreation, for diversion and adventure, this extraordinary drive captures all that is great about Washington and all that is grand in the natural world.
Whether you fish, hike, ski, stroll, or are merely an interested observer, the Loop provides. It encompasses the shores of Puget Sound, the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, the majestic peaks of the North Cascades National Park and the abundant Columbia River Valley.
You can drive the entire loop comfortably in two days, but to do it right, we recommend planning a 3-or 4-day getaway. Or, you may choose to break it up into bite size chunks – a couple days dedicated to each leg of the journey. Take a week, take a month, but be sure to take the Loop.
Snohomish County
The Snohomish County community of Everett, featuring Boeing 747 assembly plant tour, a thriving performing arts community and wonderful waterfront access, is a perfect jumping off point for the famous North Cascade Loop where Interstate 5 connects with U.S. Highway 2. Departing Everett on Highway 2 on the way to Stevens Pass is sure to leave plenty of time for the town of Snohomish, regarded by those who know as the antique lover’s supreme destination. Listed on both the state and national registers of historic places, this delightful town has more than 450 antique dealers, restaurants and shops packed into an appealing, six block section of the town. There’s a self-guided walking tour available and the Blackman Historic Museum, located in an 1878 home, features vintage furniture and local memorabilia.
Mighty Cascades
On the ascent to Stevens Pass you’ll discover a lively collection of towns that offer Multi-class River rafting, hiking and fishing along with their own unique charms. Gold Bar features the Serpentarium, with all kinds of reptiles, snakes, spiders and turtles. Nearby, venture on the seven-mile loop hike to the 265-foot Wallace Falls for a worthwhile detour. Sultan is home to the Summer Shindig logging celebration and Osprey Park – a one mile interpretive river walk where visitors learn about wetlands, eco-systems and salmon spawning. The neighboring town of Index is the site of Mount Index, a favorite of rock climbers and home to an historic inn and country store.
From Stevens Pass there are views of the lush forests that cover the popular winter ski facility. Pause at By-Gone By-Ways, an old railroad trail and Lake Wenatchee, near Coles Corner at Highway 207, located in the Wenatchee forest area, with camping, boating, swimming and excellent trout fishing. When you’ve arrived in the eastern Cascade foothills, prepare yourself for a traveler’s delight, the town of Leavenworth.
A touch of Bavaria
Leavenworth is a testament to vision and commitment. A magical Bavarian community awaits you, with year-long festivals and activities, extraordinary recreational opportunities, and one of the most romantic, yet family oriented venues around.
The Columbia River Valley
Continuing along the Loop on Highway 2, your next stop is Cashmere, home to the nationally renowned Applets and Cotlets Candy kitchen. The city has an outstanding collection of Indian Artifacts at the Cashmere Museum, with a Pioneer Village ripe for exploring. Come summer, bring your raft and launch on the nearby Wenatchee River. Wenatchee, the “Apple Capital of the World”, lays on the confluence of the Columbia and Wenatchee Rivers. If you value the irresistible luxury of biting into a freshly picked apple or peach, you’ve hit the jackpot in Wenatchee. From fruit stands, tours of fruit packing warehouses, orchards planted in riveting rows under golden-hazed hills blessed with large measures of sunshine, this produce paradise is a pure delight. From Wenatchee, head north along the west bank of the Columbia River on Highway 97 Alt toward beautiful Lake Chelan. And, just south on Highway 97 is the charming waterside community of Entiat. The Entiat Valley is regarded as a “gateway” to recreation, with snowmobile and cross-country access and hiking trails.
Pristine Lake Chelan
A significant draw to the area is Lake Chelan, which is 55-miles long and ranked as the third deepest lake in the United States. It is a popular destination for year-round recreation and lodging where generations of families have packed up their flip-flops and tank tops and come to the lake. Located behind the “rain shadow” of the towering Cascades, Lake Chelan promises 300 days of sunshine, romantic sunsets and warm, friendly beaches. Waterslides, golf and a championship putting course, mile after mile of mountain bike trails, and watercraft rentals ensure that everyone in the family will have fun in the sun.
The town of Chelan is open and friendly, sporting every kind of recreation one would imagine in a prime mountain and lake area. Lake Chelan also boasts a year-round fishery including salmon, trout and bass. The clear, arid skies provide the perfect backdrop for an activity packed day or a lazy afternoon on a quiet deck gazing across at the surprisingly calming hillsides. The Chelan Valley boasts premier destination resorts, quality motels, campgrounds and B&B’s. Excellent restaurants abound. And Chelan is not only a summer destination – for an unforgettable day in the snow, escape to Echo Valley Ski Area. Just a few miles north of Chelan, it has three rope tows, a surface Poma Lift, and a popular new tubing hill. Adjacent Echo Ridge offers 22 miles of groomed trails for Nordic skiing, and the beginning of miles of snowmobile trails.
A visit to Stehekin at the far reaches of Lake Chelan’s crystal waters is not to be missed. Only accessible by boat or float plane, this village serves as the trailhead for the North Cascades National Park. There are no phones or televisions here, just calm and quiet. Whether you take a day trip or stay overnight, you won’t forget this exquisite passage to a northwest treasure.
The lush Methow Valley
From Lake Chelan, you will continue north on SR 97, then head west on Highway 153 near the community of Pateros. The Loop then directs you to the Methow Valley. Leading to the North Cascades National Park, this valley is like a divine time warp. There’s more than an “old west” feeling to the area – even the fields and farmlands of the Methow have a sense of precious timelessness. The Western theme reigns true in the delightful town of Twisp, with a large selection of Western art and regional northwest artist’s wares. Spend an evening at the theatre at the historic MERC building or visit the U.S. Forest Service Smokejumper Base and observe the crews from June through October.
North Cascades Highway
The North Cascades Highway was purposely surveyed to take full advantage of the area’s dynamic viewpoints. Washington Pass from the east has stunning outlooks and Liberty Bell Mountain, which come fall, is gilded with a palate of autumnal colors that would shame a Hallmark rendering. Rainy Day Pass is a great spot to take a quick one-mile hike to Rainy Lake for a picnic repast before heading toward Ross and Diablo lakes.
The extraordinary colors of these lakes (Ross is teal, Diablo is jade) is due to finely-ground rock dust captured in the water and simultaneously reflecting the green of the forest and the blue of the sky. Take a tour of Ross Dam or a boat cruise on the Diablo or a short summertime ride on an incline railway from Seattle City Light’s visitor center in Diablo.
Eagles are a common sight here from December through February. The largest population of the majestic bird in the lower U.S. comes to feed on spawning salmon. They join other fishermen and women in scouting the Skagit River, also a favorite for white-water rafting in June and July.
From the mountains to the Valley – Skagit County
As you travel west on Highway 20, you’re gracefully transported into the Skagit Valley. This is where legions of visitors come to view lush tulip fields and the fertile fields produce a wide variety of crops. The road will lead through several small communities like Marblemount and Rockport. Be sure to stop by the Cascadian Home Farm stand for some organically grown berries and handmade ice cream.
You may want to take a mini-detour through the main street of Concrete. Concrete reflects its cement production history. The “Sockeye Express”, a 45 minute open-air trolley, is a fun way to learn about the town’s interesting past. The Robert DeNiro movie, “This Boys Life” is based on events that took place in Concrete and much of the movie was filmed on location here.
Sedro-Woolley celebrates their logging heritage on the state’s oldest ongoing 4th of July celebration with “Loggerodeo”. From chainsaw carving to a bluegrass jubilee, Loggerodeo is a full-fledged northwest experience.
Mount Vernon has a picturesque historic downtown and pleasing riverfront, and Burlington gathers regional shoppers with one of the largest discount malls in the northwest. Both towns are great spots to visit during the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, a true celebration of the glory of spring that takes place each April. Folks travel across international borders and several state lines to view the extraordinary sight of field after field of brilliant color, viewing what looks like a velvet patchwork quilt covering hundreds of acres.
The town of La Conner, resting alongside the Swinomish Channel, is treasured for its charming outlook and boutique shopping. This waterside hamlet is a popular day trip. Perched along side the Swinomish Slough, with a hearty collection of boutiques, specialty stores and fine restaurants, La Conner is the perfect spot for browsing, stopping for a cup of tea, browsing again, and then ending the day watching the boats glide by as you enjoy a fine repast at sunset. La Conner is bursting with art, both private and public. The Museum of Northwest Art has a fine collection of regional art featuring the area’s predominant artist and nearby Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve houses an outstanding interpretive museum and lovely pedestrian trails for viewing wildlife and birds.
Winthrop
If you really want to immerse yourself in wild frontier times, don’t miss Winthrop. Once a trade center for miners and trappers, the town has had a retro-face lift with a comprehensive restoration of the town’s Wild West ambiance with rows of false-fronted buildings and wooden boardwalks. Indians lived here for 9.000 years, sustained by local roots, berries, fishing and hunting. In 1883, the lure of gold brought the first permanent white settlers. Today, remnants of that time are the cornerstones of the town. The town was rebuilt after a horrendous fire in 1893; the original Duck Brand Saloon survived and is now the Town Hall. Another enduring edifice is the Shafer Museum, once the home of Guy Waring, one of the original founding fathers. The museum now displays a primitive print shop, stagecoach, assay office, original settler’s cabins and a large display of mining equipment.
Waring’s Harvard College roommate wrote The Virginian after honeymooning in Winthrop, and the area’s new persona was created when a generous benefactor, Mrs. Kathryn Wagner, joined local merchants in significantly bank rolling the town’s reconstruction.
After you hitch your car to the nearest post, walk the main street, examine the wares of the local shops and galleries and take refreshment at one of the many local eateries. Children are happily entertained with free gold panning, miniature golf, and the chance to ride one of the local horses. Grab some of Winthrop’s famous treats and use the town as home base. Then, go outdoors. This is an area that can be fully enjoyed on land, on water, and from high above. Mountain biking tours are available along the foothills of the Methow, hearty rock and glacier climbing in the nearby Cascades and, with the national ranking of second best in the nation, cross-country skiing is a popular choice of those wishing to glide through this peaceful valley. A singular method of exploring the valley is on a horse-packing trip into the Pasayten Wilderness Area within the boundaries of Okanogan National Forest.
Okanogan Country
The trademark refrain of the Okanogan is “Open for Adventure” and this spectacular region takes tag line seriously. Extending from the North Cascade Mountain Range to Grand Coulee Dam and bordered by Canada and Lake Chelan, Okanogan Country offers thrills, spills, and an exceptional taste of Washington’s outdoors.
The area’s geography is as diverse as its recreational offerings. The rugged Cascades, populated by dense forests and crystal clear waterfalls and rivers, give way to old-west country; soft plains bordered by gentle evergreens. Here, the dazzling power of the Grand Coulee Dam contrasts with peaceful lakes and silent streams scattered throughout the region.
Okanogan Country includes the northeastern Highway 20 leg of the famed Cascade Loop. You’ll travel through the beautiful Methow Valley into tiny Mazama with its 4-star destination resort and on to the old-west settlement. Nine miles southwest of Winthrop you’ll find world-class mountain biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing high atop Sun Mountain, a very popular recreation and resort destination. There’s an active arts community in nearby Twisp, reflected in their popular theater and Methow Arts Festival held each year.
As SR20 connects with Highway 97 at the Columbia River, head north to the city of Okanogan. Located on the Okanogan River, this county seat provides historical perspective with the Okanogan County Historical Museum and Fire Hall Museum. Nearby, the town of Omak welcomes travelers with distinct personality attractions, including the world famous Omak Stampede and Suicide race, usually held the second weekend of August.
In 1900, the town of Riverside became a prominent trading center. Today this friendly community still houses a saloon along with a historic school bell reminding visitors of the significance of this site beside the Okanogan River. Following the river north, Tonasket echoes the region’s pioneer roots. Rustic log cabins and the serene presence of the river enhance the natural beauty that continues to attract same venturesome spirit.
Oroville, at the northern tip of Highway 97, experienced a gold strike near the mouth of the Similkameen River in 1861. Today’s riches are the town’s crisp apple crop.
Some very interesting and scenic loop tour options – with some international flair – occur in this part of the state. To travel the International Discovery Loop, take Highway 20 east from Tonasket toward Republic. You’ll encounter the Stonerose Fossil Center where you can actually go on a fossil dig. From Republic, you can choose to head north on SR21 through the Colville National Forest past beautiful Curlew Lake. When you pass through Curlew, be sure to visit the historic Ansorge Hotel, which has been restored to its 1903 elegance. To complete the loop, cross the Canadian border at Ferry, take Highway 3 west to Osoyoos then head south on Highway 97 toward Oroville.
A shorter journey, the Okanogan Highlands Historical Loop, is a nice way to discover the back roads that can add adventure to any road trip. This 150-mile loop links the tiny communities of Oroville, Molson, Chesaw, Curlew, Republic and connects back to Highway 97 at Tonasket. Chesaw got its start during the 1896 mining rush and is home to the Chesaw Fourth of July Rodeo. A short detour between Oroville and Chesaw will lead to the Ghost Town of Old Molson – the site of a museum operated by the Okanogan County Historical Society. This museum features a complex of early 20th century buildings, including a bank, an assay office, two homestead cabins and its open from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Okanogan Country is one of those places that feeds the imagination and nourishes body and soul. It’s a land that time has honored with abundant resources, beauty, and a sense of mystery. Once you begin to uncover its secrets, you’ll find yourself returning again and again to discover more.
Ellensburg / Cle Elum
Approaching eastern Washington along Interstate 90 over the Cascades at Snoqualmie Pass, you are almost immediately aware that something special is beginning to happen. The dense fir, cedar and pine forests that accompanied your journey over the pass become silhouetted echoes, gradually replaced by rolling hills covered with sage brush and dotted with grazing cattle and horses. Overcast skies give way to white fluffy clouds against azure blue skies. The air is now fresh and dry. And, for the next 50 miles or so, cowboys urging their herds forward are much more likely to be spotted than a coffee chain espresso stand. The transition is somewhat intoxicating.
Soon after you cross the summit heading east, the charming communities of Cle Elum and Roslyn are well worth a slight detour off Interstate 90. Located where the alpine forest is just beginning to wane, this area is rich in outdoor recreation possibilities. Lakes, raging rivers, camping, off-road vehicle and snowmobile trails, combined with great access to the Snoqualmie Pass ski slopes, make this a very popular year-round destination.
Cle Elum has an attractive downtown shopping district and two museums of note; the Carpenter House, a 1914 historic mansion, and the Cle Elum Historical Telephone Museum. Just north on Highway 903 is Roslyn, where the popular television series Northern Exposure was filmed. Die-hard fans will want to get a photo taken in front of the famous Brick Tavern. The local museum features items from the series, a collection, “Roslyn Cemeteries”, highlighting the unique local ethnic cemeteries, and an extensive collection of photos and mining memorabilia from the town’s colorful past.
Historic downtown Ellensburg beckons
Twenty-five miles to the east, Ellensburg epitomizes the physical bounty of central Washington. A backdrop of gorgeous snowcapped mountains gives way to desert terrain, fertile Valleys and two rambling rivers. This historic city, with plenty of old-west flair, greets visitors with a charming downtown and a bevy of sights and events to enjoy. Downtown Ellensburg’s historic brick buildings and early 20th century Victorian architecture create an appealing and inviting locality primed for exploration. After a meal at one of the many delicious eateries and a serious peek at the stores and antique shops, be sure you make time to tour Central Washington University. Call ahead to make an appointment to visit the fascinating Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute, and then spend some quiet time at the Japanese garden on campus.
Museum hopping is great sport here. There’s a Children’s Activity Museum, the Clymer Museum of Art featuring native John Ford Clymer’s nationally acclaimed work, the Kittitas County Historical Museum housed in the 1889 built Cadwell Building, and the Olmstead Place State Heritage Area, open April – September featuring antique farm equipment.
Ellensburg’s country roots are wildly celebrated, so join an enthusiastic crowd and lasso the popular Ellensburg Rodeo on Labor Day weekend. But, don’t neglect the fine cultural offering here. There are many performing arts companies and organizations in the city with quality entertainment; Central Washington’s Music and Theatre Arts Department, the Children’s Musical Theatre, Choir, Youth Ballet and the regionally lauded Valley Musical Theatre.
The Ellensburg area also offers four distinct seasons, something of a rarity in Washington State. Consequently, recreational activities – from golf, hiking, river rafting, and horseback riding in spring, summer and fall, to ice skating and snowmobiling in winter – can all be enjoyed here. And if you wish, you must claim a spot along the Yakima River, one of the premier catch-and-release fly-fishing rivers in the United States. A road trip to Ellensburg is a great reason to op on Interstate 90 for a day or an extended stay, so pack up the car and prepare for a delightful getaway.
The lowlands flanking the east side of Puget Sound from Everett to Bellingham are filled with immaculate farms and enchanting towns: Marysville, Mount Vernon, La Conner and Sedro-Woolley among them. Any of them are worth exploring for a day; strung together you could spend a week or more. Driving east, to and through any of the mountain passes you’ll see some of the most verdant forests in the world. Waterfalls spill down from sheer basalt walls that line the highways. Ferns and mosses cling to the rocks. Fine maples flaunt their sculptural forms and beautiful foliage, conifers tower, and up in the highest reaches, snow and ancient ice gleam in the sun. If you drop down in the town of Winthrop, you’ll blink your eyes and think you’ve awakened in a cowboy movie. If your descent from the Cascades takes you through the Bavarian town of Leavenworth, you really will think you’re in the Alps. Don’t be surprised if you hear someone in the distance yodeling.
Once over the summit, you’re in another country. Up north, the Okanogan stretches to the east. When the West was created, God must have used the Okanogan as the template. Colonies of pines fill pocket in the slopes where rain is caught. Great sweeps of grasses hug the dry sides. There are big rocks and deep canyons, brilliant blue skies, and air so clean and dry you’ll want to bottle it and take it home.
Further south in Chelan County, Lake Chelan glistens like a silver of lapis lazuli tucked in the folds of velvety green mountains. This long and deep lake is a treasure trove of recreational activities all year around.
And down in Kittitas County, Ellensburg touts the spunk and promise of the late 19th and early 20th century’s n brick and granite, all within the spirit of the old west. This is a ranch country, and if you doubt that, just goes into any roadside restaurant and order breakfast. Once you’ve polished off eggs, sausage, hash browns, and toast, you’ll either swear off food for a week or jump on a horse and ride for a hundred miles.
What this northwest corner of the state offers is, simply, “the real thing”. So round-up your family and head out. It’s one of those places where you could happily spend a week or a lifetime.
Bellingham
Bellingham’s spectacular location, coupled with its rich history and handsome architecture, makes it easy to see why the city is considered one of the jewels of the Pacific Northwest. The city looks out over the Sun Juan Islands, across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and on to the Olympic Mountains. Behind it rise the jagged snowcapped Cascade Range and Mount Baker. For millennia, the Lummi Indians have called the area home. By the early 1850s the towns of Whatcom, Sehome, Bellingham and Fairhaven were settled, to be consolidated into the city of Bellingham in 1904.
With an abundance of natural resources and a spunky, can-do population, the town thrived. Here the first brick building north of San Francisco was built in 1958. It still stands. The majestic City Hall, built in 1892, still towers over downtown, now in its new life as the Whatcom Museum of History and Art. Meander down Holly Street to the waterfront or the historic Eldridge residential district. You’ll immediately sense the easy-going pace with its respect for tradition that has resulted in Bellingham’s well-earned reputation for being one of those idyllic places where people come to have a look and never leave.
Bellingham is just off Interstate 5, about 90 miles north of Seattle, 55 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. It’s an easy detour going between these two metropolises. But don’t cheat yourself. Bellingham is one of those wonderful stops where a traveler can land for a weekend or a week and never exhaust the options for enjoyable and edifying experience or high adventure. The area boasts over a dozen public golf courses, city, county and state parks, campgrounds, comfortable hotels and charming bed and breakfasts that sparkle with bright paint, rustle with starched linens, and smell of cinnamon and fresh baked bread. In short, Bellingham is a destination and, at least for now, it’s somewhat undiscovered by the outside world… and delightfully so.
Start your adventure by heading south from downtown to the historic Fairhaven District. Here at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, the Alaska State Ferry docks, making regular runs up and down the Inside Passage. Fairhaven could easily be called Arthaven. It has an abundance of old masonry buildings filled with shops where skilled artists and craftspeople sell their works. Good restaurants, cozy coffee shops and bookstores all attest to the quality of life in this artsy, intellectual, and heart-warningly down-home enclave.
Up the hill from downtown Bellingham, visit the campus of Western Washington University. Stately buildings, grand landscaping and panoramic views down to the city and out to the water make for a pleasant half day, but what really sets it apart is the collection of monumental outdoor sculptures that embellish the campus.
Short road trips radiate out from Bellingham like spokes from the hub of a wheel. To the south, Chuckanut Drive is a 21 mile loop off I-5 that follows the bluff high above the Strait of Juan de Fuca through lush Northwest forest. Scenic turnouts, hiking and biking trails, restaurants and even oyster farms, where you can buy fresh oyster’s in-season, add-up to make this an all-day outing.
The enchanting town of Lynden, northeast of Bellingham, is home to over 9.000 residents many of whom are descendants of Dutch settlers. Downtown Lynden has a healthy handful of high-quality antique stores and it’s one of the few places this side of Amsterdam where you can enjoy Dutch pancakes for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. With old-world architecture anchored by a windmill at one end of town, and impeccable maintained homes and manicured grounds, Lynden lives up to its promise as a way to discover Holland without a passport.
Further east, the scenic Mount Baker Highway leads to the town of Glacier, past Nooksack Falls, and on to Mount Baker. Even if you don’t want to take advantage of the November through April ski and snowboarding season, the scenic wonders of this magnificent ice cap, nearby Mount Shuksan, and the surrounding Cascades will equal the thrill of speeding down a powdery slope.
Wrap up any day on Bellingham’s new waterfront. Savor the haunting call of seagulls, the smell of salt air, and the sight of boats clustered in the marina, their masts bobbing against an oyster shell sky. From here you can line-up whale watching tours, trips over to Victoria, British Columbia, and out to the San Juan Islands. Kayaking, small boat rentals and charters, scuba diving outings, and fishing expeditions can all be arranged. With a spacious park, elegant new hotels, restaurants, and interesting glimpses of the industrial harbor, this is the spot to watch a northwest afternoon ignite into a fiery sunset and disappear behind the Olympics. It’s all part of the magic of Bellingham.
Snohomish County
Snohomish County’s varied landscape, modern cities, historic settlements, and high-tech tours contribute to a broad-based selection of activities or day trips. Just a few minutes north of Seattle, it’s treasure chest of entertaining places to visit. Choose the technology corridor with its bustling malls, Boeing tour, shopping District, and quaint waterfront communities. Or, you may prefer scenic byways leading to pristine lakes, waterfalls, raging rivers and rugged Cascade Mountains. Whatever your preference, you’ll revel in the scenic beauty and hospitality of this county’s special communities.
North county communities
Maryville is a thriving community situated near the banks of the Snohomish River. Visit Jennings Park, the site of an 1884 hand-hewn cedar home, furnished in typical 1880s farmhouse style. The Tulalip tribe operates a very successful gaming casino here. Just north on I-5, the Smokey Point / Lakewood area, offers parks with a variety of recreational options for water sport enthusiast including fishing, boating and swimming.
A visit to nearby Stanwood is not complete unless you’ve allowed yourself to be enticed by the sights and smells of their popular Scandinavian bakery and lefse factory. This town, originally settled as a trading post, still draws travelers with its specialty shops and restaurants. Be sure to include a stop at tiny Silvana for antiquing and the bustling spring and summer Farmer’s Market.
Back road adventure on Mountain Loop
Arlington is the gateway to the Mountain Loop Highway and site of the widely attended Garlic Festival every August. A walking tour of the town’s vintage buildings and architecture provides a glimpse of the days when Arlington’s streets consisted of dirt and “modern” transportation was limited to river ferries and the railroad.
On Highway 530 is Darrington, once a night camp for the wagon route linking the Monte Cristo mines to the shores of Puget Sound. In Darrington today, you can enjoy the excitement of river rafting and rock climbing or the annual Bluegrass or Wildflower Festivals.
Ghost towns anyone? Visit the remnants of Monte Cristo and be sure to stop at the Ice Caves of Big Four Mountain. These ice formations are stunning to view and photograph from afar. But be careful! The Ice Caves are unstable and extremely unsafe to enter or explore! Return to I-5 through Granite Falls and Lake Stevens.
Lynnwood
Snohomish County’s blend of rural and urban lifestyle is most evident in Lynnwood, the largest retail center in the county. Known far and near as a shopper’s haven, the city’s golf course, an ice skating arena, 250 acres of parks and open spaces strike the perfect balance between the joys of city life and the pleasures of the outdoors. The Interurban Trail, which extends from Lynnwood to Everett, offers 13 miles of paved trail perfect for biking, jogging, rollerblading or taking a casual stroll.
Situated at the I-405 interchange just 15 miles north of downtown Seattle, location is one of the city’s strong selling points. Many visitors with Seattle on their itinerary value the easy access to the city while taking advantage of Lynnwood’s competitive accommodation rates. The area’s free parking is also appreciated, allowing for leisurely and unfettered retail exploration.
After shopping, picnic at one of Lynnwood’s lovely city parks, hit the local 18-hole golf course or enjoy a great meal at one of their numerous area restaurants.
Explore waterfront communities
Snohomish County’s three primary waterfront communities are Everett, Edmonds, and Mukilteo. The latter are sites of Washington state ferry landings and known for their charm and hospitality.
Edmonds has been voted “The Friendliest Town in Puget Sound” nine years running. This charming community is reminiscent of small-town America, providing visitors with a sense of “coming home to a place they’ve never been”.
Edmonds is celebrated for its public art, award-winning flowers and quaint streets that speak, European-style, from a center fountain. This community has a lively arts tradition with a symphony, ballet, theatre, art center and museum. Diners find a menu for every taste and shoppers enjoy Old Milltown, a turn-of-the-century multi-shop complex in a downtown seasoned with edgy designer or romantic and classic travel-wear boutiques. After strolling through town, stop by the Edmonds Underwater ark and watch scuba divers as they emerge from Puget Sound’s underwater vistas.
Mukilteo’s 1906 lighthouse has been restored and is operative today – a picturesque memento of the town’s maritime past. At the Mukilteo Museum-Rosehill Community center you’ll find the 1855 Peace Treaty signed between Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens and Indian leaders representing 22 tribes. Both cities are worthy of an extended day trip, then hop on a ferry and venture into Puget Sound waters.
Downtown Everett
Everett is filled with perfect “day trip” activities, from a visit to a collection of Pilchuck Glass at the Everett Center for the Arts to a stroll along the waterfront. Everett is home to the world’s largest building, the Boeing 747assembly plant at Paine Field, with tours available. Kids of all ages are fascinated by the enormity of this process. Children’s Museum for a hands-on adventure in art, culture, history and science.
Everett has several venues for exploring its varied and expansive shoreline. The Spencer Island Wetlands, 1.900 acres of urban wetlands with native wildlife, is accessible via boat, kayak, canoe, or along the ride from the Everett waterfront to Jetty Island that runs from July 4 through Labor Day. Once there, enjoy beaches, a nature trail and glimpses of native wildlife. There are also charters available for viewing whales, seals, sea lions and aquatic birds.
The Cascade Loop
There may be more spectacular scenic drives elsewhere in the world, but in Washington, the 440-mile Cascade Loop is mile-for-mile, the hands-down winner. For scenery, for recreation, for diversion and adventure, this extraordinary drive captures all that is great about Washington and all that is grand in the natural world.
Whether you fish, hike, ski, stroll, or are merely an interested observer, the Loop provides. It encompasses the shores of Puget Sound, the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, the majestic peaks of the North Cascades National Park and the abundant Columbia River Valley.
You can drive the entire loop comfortably in two days, but to do it right, we recommend planning a 3-or 4-day getaway. Or, you may choose to break it up into bite size chunks – a couple days dedicated to each leg of the journey. Take a week, take a month, but be sure to take the Loop.
Snohomish County
The Snohomish County community of Everett, featuring Boeing 747 assembly plant tour, a thriving performing arts community and wonderful waterfront access, is a perfect jumping off point for the famous North Cascade Loop where Interstate 5 connects with U.S. Highway 2. Departing Everett on Highway 2 on the way to Stevens Pass is sure to leave plenty of time for the town of Snohomish, regarded by those who know as the antique lover’s supreme destination. Listed on both the state and national registers of historic places, this delightful town has more than 450 antique dealers, restaurants and shops packed into an appealing, six block section of the town. There’s a self-guided walking tour available and the Blackman Historic Museum, located in an 1878 home, features vintage furniture and local memorabilia.
Mighty Cascades
On the ascent to Stevens Pass you’ll discover a lively collection of towns that offer Multi-class River rafting, hiking and fishing along with their own unique charms. Gold Bar features the Serpentarium, with all kinds of reptiles, snakes, spiders and turtles. Nearby, venture on the seven-mile loop hike to the 265-foot Wallace Falls for a worthwhile detour. Sultan is home to the Summer Shindig logging celebration and Osprey Park – a one mile interpretive river walk where visitors learn about wetlands, eco-systems and salmon spawning. The neighboring town of Index is the site of Mount Index, a favorite of rock climbers and home to an historic inn and country store.
From Stevens Pass there are views of the lush forests that cover the popular winter ski facility. Pause at By-Gone By-Ways, an old railroad trail and Lake Wenatchee, near Coles Corner at Highway 207, located in the Wenatchee forest area, with camping, boating, swimming and excellent trout fishing. When you’ve arrived in the eastern Cascade foothills, prepare yourself for a traveler’s delight, the town of Leavenworth.
A touch of Bavaria
Leavenworth is a testament to vision and commitment. A magical Bavarian community awaits you, with year-long festivals and activities, extraordinary recreational opportunities, and one of the most romantic, yet family oriented venues around.
The Columbia River Valley
Continuing along the Loop on Highway 2, your next stop is Cashmere, home to the nationally renowned Applets and Cotlets Candy kitchen. The city has an outstanding collection of Indian Artifacts at the Cashmere Museum, with a Pioneer Village ripe for exploring. Come summer, bring your raft and launch on the nearby Wenatchee River. Wenatchee, the “Apple Capital of the World”, lays on the confluence of the Columbia and Wenatchee Rivers. If you value the irresistible luxury of biting into a freshly picked apple or peach, you’ve hit the jackpot in Wenatchee. From fruit stands, tours of fruit packing warehouses, orchards planted in riveting rows under golden-hazed hills blessed with large measures of sunshine, this produce paradise is a pure delight. From Wenatchee, head north along the west bank of the Columbia River on Highway 97 Alt toward beautiful Lake Chelan. And, just south on Highway 97 is the charming waterside community of Entiat. The Entiat Valley is regarded as a “gateway” to recreation, with snowmobile and cross-country access and hiking trails.
Pristine Lake Chelan
A significant draw to the area is Lake Chelan, which is 55-miles long and ranked as the third deepest lake in the United States. It is a popular destination for year-round recreation and lodging where generations of families have packed up their flip-flops and tank tops and come to the lake. Located behind the “rain shadow” of the towering Cascades, Lake Chelan promises 300 days of sunshine, romantic sunsets and warm, friendly beaches. Waterslides, golf and a championship putting course, mile after mile of mountain bike trails, and watercraft rentals ensure that everyone in the family will have fun in the sun.
The town of Chelan is open and friendly, sporting every kind of recreation one would imagine in a prime mountain and lake area. Lake Chelan also boasts a year-round fishery including salmon, trout and bass. The clear, arid skies provide the perfect backdrop for an activity packed day or a lazy afternoon on a quiet deck gazing across at the surprisingly calming hillsides. The Chelan Valley boasts premier destination resorts, quality motels, campgrounds and B&B’s. Excellent restaurants abound. And Chelan is not only a summer destination – for an unforgettable day in the snow, escape to Echo Valley Ski Area. Just a few miles north of Chelan, it has three rope tows, a surface Poma Lift, and a popular new tubing hill. Adjacent Echo Ridge offers 22 miles of groomed trails for Nordic skiing, and the beginning of miles of snowmobile trails.
A visit to Stehekin at the far reaches of Lake Chelan’s crystal waters is not to be missed. Only accessible by boat or float plane, this village serves as the trailhead for the North Cascades National Park. There are no phones or televisions here, just calm and quiet. Whether you take a day trip or stay overnight, you won’t forget this exquisite passage to a northwest treasure.
The lush Methow Valley
From Lake Chelan, you will continue north on SR 97, then head west on Highway 153 near the community of Pateros. The Loop then directs you to the Methow Valley. Leading to the North Cascades National Park, this valley is like a divine time warp. There’s more than an “old west” feeling to the area – even the fields and farmlands of the Methow have a sense of precious timelessness. The Western theme reigns true in the delightful town of Twisp, with a large selection of Western art and regional northwest artist’s wares. Spend an evening at the theatre at the historic MERC building or visit the U.S. Forest Service Smokejumper Base and observe the crews from June through October.
North Cascades Highway
The North Cascades Highway was purposely surveyed to take full advantage of the area’s dynamic viewpoints. Washington Pass from the east has stunning outlooks and Liberty Bell Mountain, which come fall, is gilded with a palate of autumnal colors that would shame a Hallmark rendering. Rainy Day Pass is a great spot to take a quick one-mile hike to Rainy Lake for a picnic repast before heading toward Ross and Diablo lakes.
The extraordinary colors of these lakes (Ross is teal, Diablo is jade) is due to finely-ground rock dust captured in the water and simultaneously reflecting the green of the forest and the blue of the sky. Take a tour of Ross Dam or a boat cruise on the Diablo or a short summertime ride on an incline railway from Seattle City Light’s visitor center in Diablo.
Eagles are a common sight here from December through February. The largest population of the majestic bird in the lower U.S. comes to feed on spawning salmon. They join other fishermen and women in scouting the Skagit River, also a favorite for white-water rafting in June and July.
From the mountains to the Valley – Skagit County
As you travel west on Highway 20, you’re gracefully transported into the Skagit Valley. This is where legions of visitors come to view lush tulip fields and the fertile fields produce a wide variety of crops. The road will lead through several small communities like Marblemount and Rockport. Be sure to stop by the Cascadian Home Farm stand for some organically grown berries and handmade ice cream.
You may want to take a mini-detour through the main street of Concrete. Concrete reflects its cement production history. The “Sockeye Express”, a 45 minute open-air trolley, is a fun way to learn about the town’s interesting past. The Robert DeNiro movie, “This Boys Life” is based on events that took place in Concrete and much of the movie was filmed on location here.
Sedro-Woolley celebrates their logging heritage on the state’s oldest ongoing 4th of July celebration with “Loggerodeo”. From chainsaw carving to a bluegrass jubilee, Loggerodeo is a full-fledged northwest experience.
Mount Vernon has a picturesque historic downtown and pleasing riverfront, and Burlington gathers regional shoppers with one of the largest discount malls in the northwest. Both towns are great spots to visit during the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, a true celebration of the glory of spring that takes place each April. Folks travel across international borders and several state lines to view the extraordinary sight of field after field of brilliant color, viewing what looks like a velvet patchwork quilt covering hundreds of acres.
The town of La Conner, resting alongside the Swinomish Channel, is treasured for its charming outlook and boutique shopping. This waterside hamlet is a popular day trip. Perched along side the Swinomish Slough, with a hearty collection of boutiques, specialty stores and fine restaurants, La Conner is the perfect spot for browsing, stopping for a cup of tea, browsing again, and then ending the day watching the boats glide by as you enjoy a fine repast at sunset. La Conner is bursting with art, both private and public. The Museum of Northwest Art has a fine collection of regional art featuring the area’s predominant artist and nearby Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve houses an outstanding interpretive museum and lovely pedestrian trails for viewing wildlife and birds.
Winthrop
If you really want to immerse yourself in wild frontier times, don’t miss Winthrop. Once a trade center for miners and trappers, the town has had a retro-face lift with a comprehensive restoration of the town’s Wild West ambiance with rows of false-fronted buildings and wooden boardwalks. Indians lived here for 9.000 years, sustained by local roots, berries, fishing and hunting. In 1883, the lure of gold brought the first permanent white settlers. Today, remnants of that time are the cornerstones of the town. The town was rebuilt after a horrendous fire in 1893; the original Duck Brand Saloon survived and is now the Town Hall. Another enduring edifice is the Shafer Museum, once the home of Guy Waring, one of the original founding fathers. The museum now displays a primitive print shop, stagecoach, assay office, original settler’s cabins and a large display of mining equipment.
Waring’s Harvard College roommate wrote The Virginian after honeymooning in Winthrop, and the area’s new persona was created when a generous benefactor, Mrs. Kathryn Wagner, joined local merchants in significantly bank rolling the town’s reconstruction.
After you hitch your car to the nearest post, walk the main street, examine the wares of the local shops and galleries and take refreshment at one of the many local eateries. Children are happily entertained with free gold panning, miniature golf, and the chance to ride one of the local horses. Grab some of Winthrop’s famous treats and use the town as home base. Then, go outdoors. This is an area that can be fully enjoyed on land, on water, and from high above. Mountain biking tours are available along the foothills of the Methow, hearty rock and glacier climbing in the nearby Cascades and, with the national ranking of second best in the nation, cross-country skiing is a popular choice of those wishing to glide through this peaceful valley. A singular method of exploring the valley is on a horse-packing trip into the Pasayten Wilderness Area within the boundaries of Okanogan National Forest.
Okanogan Country
The trademark refrain of the Okanogan is “Open for Adventure” and this spectacular region takes tag line seriously. Extending from the North Cascade Mountain Range to Grand Coulee Dam and bordered by Canada and Lake Chelan, Okanogan Country offers thrills, spills, and an exceptional taste of Washington’s outdoors.
The area’s geography is as diverse as its recreational offerings. The rugged Cascades, populated by dense forests and crystal clear waterfalls and rivers, give way to old-west country; soft plains bordered by gentle evergreens. Here, the dazzling power of the Grand Coulee Dam contrasts with peaceful lakes and silent streams scattered throughout the region.
Okanogan Country includes the northeastern Highway 20 leg of the famed Cascade Loop. You’ll travel through the beautiful Methow Valley into tiny Mazama with its 4-star destination resort and on to the old-west settlement. Nine miles southwest of Winthrop you’ll find world-class mountain biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing high atop Sun Mountain, a very popular recreation and resort destination. There’s an active arts community in nearby Twisp, reflected in their popular theater and Methow Arts Festival held each year.
As SR20 connects with Highway 97 at the Columbia River, head north to the city of Okanogan. Located on the Okanogan River, this county seat provides historical perspective with the Okanogan County Historical Museum and Fire Hall Museum. Nearby, the town of Omak welcomes travelers with distinct personality attractions, including the world famous Omak Stampede and Suicide race, usually held the second weekend of August.
In 1900, the town of Riverside became a prominent trading center. Today this friendly community still houses a saloon along with a historic school bell reminding visitors of the significance of this site beside the Okanogan River. Following the river north, Tonasket echoes the region’s pioneer roots. Rustic log cabins and the serene presence of the river enhance the natural beauty that continues to attract same venturesome spirit.
Oroville, at the northern tip of Highway 97, experienced a gold strike near the mouth of the Similkameen River in 1861. Today’s riches are the town’s crisp apple crop.
Some very interesting and scenic loop tour options – with some international flair – occur in this part of the state. To travel the International Discovery Loop, take Highway 20 east from Tonasket toward Republic. You’ll encounter the Stonerose Fossil Center where you can actually go on a fossil dig. From Republic, you can choose to head north on SR21 through the Colville National Forest past beautiful Curlew Lake. When you pass through Curlew, be sure to visit the historic Ansorge Hotel, which has been restored to its 1903 elegance. To complete the loop, cross the Canadian border at Ferry, take Highway 3 west to Osoyoos then head south on Highway 97 toward Oroville.
A shorter journey, the Okanogan Highlands Historical Loop, is a nice way to discover the back roads that can add adventure to any road trip. This 150-mile loop links the tiny communities of Oroville, Molson, Chesaw, Curlew, Republic and connects back to Highway 97 at Tonasket. Chesaw got its start during the 1896 mining rush and is home to the Chesaw Fourth of July Rodeo. A short detour between Oroville and Chesaw will lead to the Ghost Town of Old Molson – the site of a museum operated by the Okanogan County Historical Society. This museum features a complex of early 20th century buildings, including a bank, an assay office, two homestead cabins and its open from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Okanogan Country is one of those places that feeds the imagination and nourishes body and soul. It’s a land that time has honored with abundant resources, beauty, and a sense of mystery. Once you begin to uncover its secrets, you’ll find yourself returning again and again to discover more.
Ellensburg / Cle Elum
Approaching eastern Washington along Interstate 90 over the Cascades at Snoqualmie Pass, you are almost immediately aware that something special is beginning to happen. The dense fir, cedar and pine forests that accompanied your journey over the pass become silhouetted echoes, gradually replaced by rolling hills covered with sage brush and dotted with grazing cattle and horses. Overcast skies give way to white fluffy clouds against azure blue skies. The air is now fresh and dry. And, for the next 50 miles or so, cowboys urging their herds forward are much more likely to be spotted than a coffee chain espresso stand. The transition is somewhat intoxicating.
Soon after you cross the summit heading east, the charming communities of Cle Elum and Roslyn are well worth a slight detour off Interstate 90. Located where the alpine forest is just beginning to wane, this area is rich in outdoor recreation possibilities. Lakes, raging rivers, camping, off-road vehicle and snowmobile trails, combined with great access to the Snoqualmie Pass ski slopes, make this a very popular year-round destination.
Cle Elum has an attractive downtown shopping district and two museums of note; the Carpenter House, a 1914 historic mansion, and the Cle Elum Historical Telephone Museum. Just north on Highway 903 is Roslyn, where the popular television series Northern Exposure was filmed. Die-hard fans will want to get a photo taken in front of the famous Brick Tavern. The local museum features items from the series, a collection, “Roslyn Cemeteries”, highlighting the unique local ethnic cemeteries, and an extensive collection of photos and mining memorabilia from the town’s colorful past.
Historic downtown Ellensburg beckons
Twenty-five miles to the east, Ellensburg epitomizes the physical bounty of central Washington. A backdrop of gorgeous snowcapped mountains gives way to desert terrain, fertile Valleys and two rambling rivers. This historic city, with plenty of old-west flair, greets visitors with a charming downtown and a bevy of sights and events to enjoy. Downtown Ellensburg’s historic brick buildings and early 20th century Victorian architecture create an appealing and inviting locality primed for exploration. After a meal at one of the many delicious eateries and a serious peek at the stores and antique shops, be sure you make time to tour Central Washington University. Call ahead to make an appointment to visit the fascinating Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute, and then spend some quiet time at the Japanese garden on campus.
Museum hopping is great sport here. There’s a Children’s Activity Museum, the Clymer Museum of Art featuring native John Ford Clymer’s nationally acclaimed work, the Kittitas County Historical Museum housed in the 1889 built Cadwell Building, and the Olmstead Place State Heritage Area, open April – September featuring antique farm equipment.
Ellensburg’s country roots are wildly celebrated, so join an enthusiastic crowd and lasso the popular Ellensburg Rodeo on Labor Day weekend. But, don’t neglect the fine cultural offering here. There are many performing arts companies and organizations in the city with quality entertainment; Central Washington’s Music and Theatre Arts Department, the Children’s Musical Theatre, Choir, Youth Ballet and the regionally lauded Valley Musical Theatre.
The Ellensburg area also offers four distinct seasons, something of a rarity in Washington State. Consequently, recreational activities – from golf, hiking, river rafting, and horseback riding in spring, summer and fall, to ice skating and snowmobiling in winter – can all be enjoyed here. And if you wish, you must claim a spot along the Yakima River, one of the premier catch-and-release fly-fishing rivers in the United States. A road trip to Ellensburg is a great reason to op on Interstate 90 for a day or an extended stay, so pack up the car and prepare for a delightful getaway.
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